Let's check in on our young friend Pietro Tomaselli, shall we?
The hype machine cranked up when Roma signed the then-nine years old Belgian prodigy (we are obligated as members of the media to refer to him as a "Belgian prodigy" at least once per article) and then it cranked even more when a video surfaced in September of Tomaselli enjoying a nice game of keepy-uppy.
One of those players is still with AS Roma. The other is Ashley Cole.
Pietro Tomaselli And Ashley Cole
We don't know if Tomaselli will be the real deal or not. No one knows. Anyone who tells you they know what's in store for any 10-year-old is either a liar or a lunatic. We can't help but root for young Pietro to make it, though. He seems like a nice enough kid.
In any case, we'll have to wait 10 or 15 years to know the answer. Of course, the soccer public wants to know right now, and until we know for sure whether Tomaselli is a boom or a bust all we can do is irresponsibly speculate. Which is what everyone is going to do for the next 10-15 years. Sounds like fun.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus