Luigi Cherubini is twenty-two, has one senior Italy cap and from today plays in Serie B. Benevento announced him on 18 August as the tenth signing of their window, four days before the season starts. The structure of the deal is one of the most elaborate you will see in Italy, and it is worth reading alongside the player himself.
The profile at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Player | Luigi Cherubini |
| Born | 15 January 2004 (22) |
| Place of birth | Tivoli, Italy |
| Position | Winger, also an attacking midfielder |
| Height | 175 cm |
| Foot | Left |
| Parent club | Roma |
| 2026-27 season | Benevento, in Serie B |
| Last two league seasons | 34 games and 3 goals at Carrarese, 35 games and 2 goals at Sampdoria |
| International | Italy, 1 cap; Under 21, 8 caps |
The path so far
Cherubini is a Roma academy product, where he captained the youth side. His first-team debut came on 26 October 2023, in the closing minutes of a Europa League match against Slavia Prague, with José Mourinho on the bench.
From there the route is the standard one for a big club’s youngster: two consecutive loans, one in Serie B at Carrarese in 2024-25 and one at Sampdoria in 2025-26. In neither case did he simply make up the numbers: 34 league games in the first season, 35 in the second. Those are starter’s figures, not squad-filler figures.
On 3 June 2026 came the moment that changed how he is seen: a debut in the starting eleven for the senior Italy side against Luxembourg, after 8 caps at Under 21 level.
What he does on the pitch
The profile is that of a left-footed winger who prefers the right flank, so that he can drift inside and shoot with his stronger foot. It is the most studied movement in contemporary football, and also the hardest to defend when the player executing it is quick over the first few metres.
The qualities credited to him are pace, clean technique and a reading of the game above average for his age. He is not a runner alone: he can play centrally, behind the striker, and he has also been used on the left.
The structural limit, in a role where duels matter, is his size: 175 centimetres means winning contests through timing and positioning rather than through strength.
The number that is not fully convincing
Five goals in 69 league games across two seasons is a light return for an attacking wide player who starts every week. That is the figure his season will turn on.
Context counts, of course: in two mid-table Serie B sides a wide player’s job is often more about build-up than finishing, and the attacking output of a team that defends deep travels down other routes. But the point stands: a left-footer cutting in from the right is judged, in the end, on goals and assists.
The structure, and why it is interesting
The Benevento deal is not a plain loan. It is a paid loan with a conditional purchase obligation, tied to promotion to Serie A and a minimum number of appearances, plus a purchase option reported at around three million euros that can be exercised regardless of those results.
In plain terms: if Benevento go up and the player features enough, the purchase triggers itself. If they do not go up, the club can still buy him by paying the agreed figure. If they choose not to, in June he goes back to Roma.
It is a structure that protects all three parties, and one that effectively ties the future of an Italy international to the league position of a side just promoted from Serie C.
What to expect
Benevento are back in Serie B after three years in Serie C, with Antonio Floro Flores in charge and the season starting on the weekend of 21 and 22 August. In a team like that, a player with 69 league games behind him and a senior cap is not a youngster to be developed: he is the man expected to make the difference.
That is an uncomfortable and a useful position at once. At twenty-two, after two loans in which he played a great deal and decided little, Cherubini faces the season in which that balance has to change sign.
Data and information gathered from public sources: official club communications, Wikipedia, national and local sports press, public statistical archives. Financial figures are press reports and should be read as indications.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Luigi Cherubini?
An Italian winger born in Tivoli on 15 January 2004, 175 centimetres tall and left-footed. A Roma youth product, he made his first-team debut on 26 October 2023 in the Europa League against Slavia Prague with José Mourinho in charge.
On what terms did he join Benevento?
A paid loan with a conditional purchase obligation, tied to promotion to Serie A and a minimum number of appearances, alongside a purchase option reported at around three million euros that can be exercised regardless of those targets.
What are his numbers over the last two years?
In 2024-25 he played 34 league games for Carrarese and scored 3 goals. In 2025-26 he played 35 for Sampdoria with 2 goals. That is 69 league appearances across two seasons.
Has he played for the senior Italy side?
Yes. He made his Italy debut in the starting eleven on 3 June 2026 against Luxembourg. Before that he had 8 caps at Under 21 level, 3 at Under 20 and 1 at Under 18.
What kind of winger is he?
A quick, technical player who prefers the right flank so that he can cut inside onto his left foot, but who has also been used on the left and centrally as an attacking midfielder.
