Exequiel Zeballos Joins Monza: A Journey from Boca to Serie A

Exequiel Zeballos was supposed to land in Naples. Instead, he walked out into the arrivals hall in Milan, a Monza player and the latest twist in a transfer story that turned sharply in the final days of the window.

A few weeks ago, Napoli had him lined up as a clever attacking addition. Personal terms? Agreed. The project? Attractive. The club pushed a proposal worth around €10m plus add-ons to Boca Juniors, confident they were close to closing the deal.

Boca said no.

With his contract ticking down to its December 31 expiry, the Argentine club held their ground, turned away Napoli’s offer, and then chose a very different route for their winger. On deadline day, Zeballos didn’t become a piece of a Scudetto puzzle in the south. He became a statement signing for Serie A’s ambitious outsiders: Monza.

The numbers tell their own story. Monza are believed to have paid around €4m, but only for 60 per cent of his contract. Boca Juniors keep 40 per cent of any future sale, a clear sign they still believe there is a bigger move – and a bigger fee – to come somewhere down the line.

Zeballos touched down in Italy and faced the cameras at Milan airport, still catching his breath from a move that accelerated late and finished fast.

"It all happened so fast, I will speak with coach Ivan Juric today," the 24-year-old said, outlining the pace of the last few days as much as his immediate plans. One meeting, one conversation, and a new chapter in a new league begins.

His choice of destination, though, has roots far deeper than tactics or game time.

"I wanted to come to Italy because my father's idol is Maradona," he explained.

That line matters. For an Argentine forward leaving Boca Juniors, Italy is never just another country. Diego Maradona’s legacy still binds Buenos Aires to Serie A, and for a player raised on those stories at home, the pull of Calcio is emotional as much as professional.

The decision did not form in isolation. Inside the Boca dressing room, Zeballos leaned on the experience of a man who knows Italian football as well as anyone: Leandro Paredes, the former Roma and Juventus midfielder.

"It's true, Paredes gave me a lot of advice, especially when we were talking about Napoli," Zeballos admitted.

Those conversations once seemed to be pointing him towards the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The irony is hard to miss. The stadium named after his father’s idol will now watch him from afar, while his first steps in Serie A come in Monza colours instead.

On the pitch, Monza are getting a wide attacker with versatility and end product. Zeballos can operate on either flank, stretching defences on the right or driving inside from the left. Across 140 competitive games for Boca Juniors, he produced 16 goals and 16 assists – numbers that hint at a player still growing, still learning, but already decisive in the final third.

For Monza, this is the kind of calculated gamble that can change a club’s trajectory. A 24-year-old with Copa Libertadores experience, a Boca education, and a profile built for a league that prizes sharp movement and technical quality out wide.

For Zeballos, it is something else. A leap into Europe. A chance to turn family idol worship into a personal Italian story. And perhaps, one day, to make Boca’s 40 per cent look like one of their smartest decisions in years.