On 20 August 2026 Catanzaro announced the permanent signing of Samuel Giovane from Atalanta, on a three-year contract and with the number 14 shirt. This is the transfer of a twenty-three-year-old midfielder who three summers ago was captaining Italy’s Under 20 side in a World Cup final, and the distance between those two moments is the most interesting part of his story.
The profile at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Player | Samuel Giovane |
| Born | 28 March 2003 (23) |
| Place of birth | Lugo, Italy |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Youth systems | Cesena from 2011 to 2017, Atalanta from 2017 to 2022 |
| From | Atalanta |
| To | US Catanzaro 1929, three-year contract |
| Serie B | Ascoli 55 appearances, Carrarese 31 appearances and 1 goal, Palermo 16 appearances |
| International | Captain of Italy Under 20 at the 2023 World Cup |
The 2023 World Cup
In June 2023 Italy Under 20 reached the final of the age-group World Cup in Argentina and lost 1-0 to Uruguay. Giovane captained that side, armband on his sleeve and the number 6 on his back.
It is worth remembering who was in that squad, because it helps place the player: it was a generation that has produced several professionals now in Serie A, and the captaincy in a tournament of that size is not handed out by seniority.
From that point his career took the road almost every young Italian with a solid age-group record takes: Serie B, one loan at a time.
Four years in the second tier
The path reads in three stages. Ascoli between 2022 and 2024, 55 appearances across two seasons: the phase in which he becomes a genuine professional-league footballer. Carrarese in 2024-25, 31 appearances and a goal, essentially a season as a near-permanent starter. Palermo in 2025-26, 16 appearances.
That last line explains the transfer. Sixteen matches in a season, for a player who had played thirty-one the year before, means bench time, rotation and little rhythm. It is not a technical disaster, it is a problem of trajectory: at that age minutes are not a reward, they are the tool you improve with.
What he does on the pitch
The profile that emerges from public descriptions is that of a complete midfielder rather than a specialist: he takes part in build-up, can quicken the game when his team needs to raise the tempo and contributes to the defensive phase.
The detail worth noting is that he can be used at left-back. That flexibility is enormously valuable in leagues with short squads, because it covers two positions with one registration slot, and it usually belongs to players who read defensive diagonals well.
For a 1.83 metre midfielder there is not enough public evidence to offer a reliable judgement on aerial duels, shooting from distance or set-piece output: saying so is more useful than filling the space with adjectives.
Why Catanzaro, and why permanently
The shape of the deal matters as much as the name. Until twenty-two or twenty-three, a player owned by a Serie A club circulates on loan and remains the parent club’s investment. A permanent move on a three-year contract closes that cycle: from now on the player belongs to the team he plays for, and his career depends on what he does there.
Catanzaro arrive from defeat in the Serie B playoff final against Monza, which is the bitterest way to miss promotion: a whole season to reach two games from Serie A and not get through them. A team restarting from that disappointment needs players who know the division and are hungry for minutes, and Giovane fits both descriptions.
What to watch
The first indicator is trivial and decisive: how many of the first ten league games he starts. If the number is high, the transfer has already done its job.
The second is where he plays. If he is used consistently in midfield, Catanzaro have bought a first-choice central midfielder; if he appears regularly at left-back, then the flexibility has become the main reason for the signing. Those are two different careers, and the difference will be visible by the autumn.
Data and information gathered from public sources: US Catanzaro 1929’s official statement of 20 August 2026, Italian sports media, public statistical and biographical archives. Where season figures come from public statistics they should be read as indications.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Samuel Giovane?
An Italian midfielder born in Lugo on 28 March 2003, 1.83 metres tall, developed in the youth systems of Cesena and Atalanta. He captained Italy Under 20 at the 2023 World Cup for that age group.
Where does he play from 2026-27?
At Catanzaro, in Serie B. The Calabrian club announced his permanent signing from Atalanta on 20 August 2026, on a three-year contract, with the number 14 shirt.
What has his Serie B path been?
Ascoli between 2022 and 2024 with 55 appearances, then Carrarese in 2024-25 with 31 appearances and one goal, and finally Palermo in 2025-26 with 16 appearances. Four consecutive seasons in the same division, with his playing time shrinking in the last of them.
What kind of midfielder is he?
A midfielder built on distribution and acceleration who also contributes defensively. Public profiles note that he can be fielded at left-back when required, an unusual flexibility for a player in that role.
Why did he leave Atalanta permanently?
Because at twenty-three the loan road runs out: either you break into a first team or you pick a club where you can play regularly. A permanent transfer on a three-year contract is how that cycle closes.
