# Davide Merola

Davide Merola (born 27 March 2000) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward or a winger for Serie C Group B club Pescara.

## Club career

He began playing football in 2005, at the age of five, for Juve Sammaritana. Later he managed to get noticed with Capua by various observers from all over Italy. After having done several auditions, 2014 is bought by Inter. On 2 July 2017 he signed a youth registration contract to stay at Inter Milan until 2020. He debuted with Primavera on 10 September 2017 in a Campionato Primavera 1 against Udinese and marked the occasion by scoring a goal. With the Inter Milan youth sector he was twice the top scorer and also won the Supercoppa Primavera, Primavera Championship and Torneo Viareggio. On 11 March 2019, he was summoned to play in the first team and debuted three days later, on the occasion of the UEFA Europa League, against Eintracht Frankfurt.
On 20 August 2019 it was announced that Merola moved to Empoli.
On 4 October 2020, he was loaned to Arezzo. On 14 January 2021, he was sent on a new loan to Grosseto.
On 18 August 2022, Merola moved on loan to Serie B side Cosenza.
On 31 January 2023, Merola joined Serie C side Pescara on loan with a conditional obligation to buy. On 5 February, he scored a brace on his debut for the club, contributing to a 5–0 league win over Potenza.

## International career

With the Italy U17 team he took part in the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and with the Italy U19 team in took part in the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

## Style of play

Merola has been described as classic striker who mainly operates inside the penalty area. Equipped with a very strong and precise shot, he is known for his lethal eye for goal, and became highly regarded for his goalscoring ability since the beginning of his career. Despite his diminutive stature and slender physique, he is also known for having a penchant for scoring goals with his head, due to his speed of execution. A highly technically gifted player, Merola is left-footed, and is also known for his ability on set pieces, often scoring from free kicks.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 6 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Inter Milan | 2018–19 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Empoli | 2019–20 | Serie B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Empoli | 2020–21 | Serie B | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
| Empoli | Total | Total | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Arezzo (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie C | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Grosseto (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie C | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 15 | 2 |
| Foggia (loan) | 2021–22 | Serie C | 27 | 9 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 32 | 11 |
| Cosenza (loan) | 2022–23 | Serie B | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 1 |
| Pescara (loan) | 2022–23 | Serie C | 13 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 19 | 8 |
| Pescara (loan) | 2023–24 | Serie C | 37 | 17 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 43 | 18 |
| Pescara | 2024–25 | Serie C | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Pescara | Total | Total | 55 | 24 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 1 | 67 | 26 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 120 | 34 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 142 | 42 |
* ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
* 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in Serie C promotion play-offs

## Honours
### Club
#### Inter Milan

* Supercoppa Primavera: 2017
* Campione Primavera: 2017
* Torneo di Viareggio: 2017

### Individual

* Capocannoniere: 2016, 2017