Cagliari have officially signed Semih Kilicsoy from Besiktas, on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for a reported total €14m fee.

The striker flew out for his medical tests on Friday and put pen to paper on the contract this afternoon.

It is believed to be a loan for one season at a cost of €1m, with an option to make it permanent for a further €12m, plus €2m in possible add-ons.

Besiktas are also thought to retain a 20 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

Cagliari coup with Kilicsoy

Kilicsoy is considered a huge talent in Turkish football, who turns 20 later this month and can play as a centre-forward or in a wider role.

Despite still being only 19 years of age, he already has four senior caps for Turkey playing under coach Vincenzo Montella, and scored five goals in six games for his country at Under-21 level, where he was the captain.

He made his Super Lig debut at the age of 17 and scored his first goal in July 2023.

Forza Semih pic.twitter.com/1l3B8brcvo

— Cagliari Calcio (@CagliariCalcio) August 3, 2025

As expected, Turkish talent Semih Kilicsoy has arrived in Italy for his Cagliari medical, ready to complete the €14m transfer from Besiktas.

The reports were all confirmed, that he was waiting to participate in last night’s Champions League preliminary round tie with Shakhtar Donetsk.

He was given the all-clear to fly out for his medical and landed on Italian soil this evening.

.@CagliariCalcio, Semih Kiliçsoy è arrivato in Italia: ecco le prime immagini pic.twitter.com/5rO3lMaxJg

— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) August 1, 2025

Kilicsoy an exciting buy for Cagliari

It is going to be a loan deal at a cost of €1m, with an option to make it permanent for a further €12m, plus €2m in potential add-ons.

Besiktas are also expected to retain a 20 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

This is quite the coup for Cagliari, because Kilicsoy is one of the brightest talents in Turkish football.

He turns 20 in a couple of weeks and can play as a centre-forward or in a wider attacking role.

The teenager scored an impressive five goals in six caps for Turkey at Under-21 level, and already has four senior appearances under his belt.

Cagliari will reportedly be able to welcome Turkish talent Semih Kilicsoy on loan with option to buy for a total €14m after his Champions League match with Besiktas.

The basics of the agreement had already been reached well over a week ago, but Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio claims that the final details were whittled down today.

There was also a delay because Besiktas wanted to have Kilicsoy in their squad for the second leg of the Champions League preliminary round tie with Shakhtar Donetsk.

That is this evening and it remains to be seen if he will play or be left on the bench, as the risk of injury could cause problems for the transfer.

Cagliari excited by Kilicsoy arrival

It is expected to be a loan for one season at a cost of €1m, with an option to buy for a further €12m plus €2m in add-ons.

Besiktas could also retain a 20 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

Cagliari have surprised quite a few different clubs by securing Kilicsoy, who will turn 20 next month.

He is a centre-forward, but can also play in wider roles, and already has five senior caps for the Turkish national team.

Napoli striker Giovanni Simeone has currently prioritised a move to Torino, while Inter won’t send Sebastiano Esposito to Cagliari on loan with an option to buy.

Napoli striker Simeone has prioritised a summer move to Torino and has put all other options on hold.

Simeone gives priority to Torino move

Football Italia exclusively reported last week that the Granata had enquired about the Argentine forward and club-to-club negotiations continued in recent days.

Torino are convinced about making the deal, but they are still looking for an agreement with Napoli.

Signing Simeone would allow Torino to wait for Duvan Zapata’s return from injury calmly.

In the meantime, Inter continue negotiations with Cagliari for Sebastiano Esposito.

Inter’s stance on Seba Esposito

The Nerazzurri won’t accept an offer for a loan deal with an option to buy, especially because the striker’s contract ends in 2026.

If they were to accept such an offer, they’d also need to extend Esposito’s contract to 2027.

This is why the 2024-25 Serie A runners-up are pushing for a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to buy, tied to easily achievable targets.

West Ham United have reportedly made a fresh approach for Cagliari striker Roberto Piccoli, who just completed a permanent transfer from Atalanta for €12.5m.

According to Sportitalia transfer pundit Gianluigi Longari, the Hammers have asked again for more information on the former Italy Under-21 international.

There had already been reports of interest from both West Ham and Benfica in the Italian.

Piccoli just completed Cagliari sale

Having turned 24 in January, the centre-forward was a product of the Atalanta youth academy and went out on a series of loans to Spezia, Genoa, Hellas Verona, Empoli and Lecce.

He joined Cagliari on loan in 2024 and the Sardinians activated their option to make it permanent for a total fee of €12.5m.

Piccoli has a record of 23 goals and four assists in 134 Serie A appearances, but last season was easily his most prolific in the top flight, finding the net 10 times with three assists in 37 top flight matches for Cagliari.

He also scored one goal with one assist in three Coppa Italia games for the Sardinians last term.

The Lega Serie A published the rule changes for the 2025-26 season for deciding what happens when matches are interrupted or postponed, aiming to play within 24 hours.

There were several situations last term where the games were delayed due to weather warnings or events, which saw the fixture list thrown into chaos with the difficulty of rearranging them.

Now the clubs have come together and approved a new set of rules to make the situation easier, or at the very least provide a little more clarity when they do occur.

Serie A rules for postponed fixtures

The Lega Serie A warns that games that were postponed before kick-off must start within the next 24 hours, unless there are exceptional circumstances such as the pitch still being unsuited to a football match, coinciding with the break for international duty, or games that are too close together.

In these cases, the Lega Serie A will dictate the rescheduling at the earliest available opportunity.

There must be at least two free days guaranteed between fixtures for both the teams involved.

When it comes to games that have been interrupted, the same Serie A rule applies as last season, namely that they pick up precisely where they left off.

If a match was stopped after 80 minutes, for example, then the teams will come back out to play the remaining 10 minutes plus stoppages.

Here too, the aim is to resume the day after it was interrupted.

There are some changes in the rules, as clubs can bring in up to three new players who were signed after the interruption, as long as they did not cross over from the other team involved in the match.

However, those who were sent off, substituted, or suspended for the original game cannot be brought back in.

Direct talks have intensified today between Inter and Cagliari over Sebastiano Esposito, who could make the move on loan with obligation to buy for €7m.

We had already given you the details of the first unexpected approach several days ago to yesterday morning’s sudden surge from the Sardinians.

Now we can confirm that the day has seen in depth negotiations between the two clubs and they are edging closer to an agreement.

Esposito ready for Cagliari adventure

The 23-year-old spent last season on loan with Empoli, where he scored eight goals in 33 Serie A appearances, plus two in four Coppa Italia matches.

Obviously, as his contract is due to expire in June 2026, Inter would need to extend his deal first before giving the all clear to the transfer.

This would allow Cagliari to make it a loan with obligation to buy at the end of the season for a total fee of circa €7m.

In turn, this provides that extra financial boost that the Nerazzurri need to push their offer for Ademola Lookman over the edge and satisfy Atalanta.

Cagliari have presented the new and improved project for their stadium, which increases to 30,000 seats, will be named after legend Gigi Riva, and hopes to host EURO 2032.

The rush is on to build new arenas that can be suitable for host duties when Italy share the organisation of the European Championship with Turkey in 2032.

That means finding five stadiums that are up to the UEFA standards required for the tournament, or can be built by the necessary deadlines.

The latest hoping to get the all clear is in Sardinia, where again the attempts to build a new venue have been dragging on for many years.

Cagliari present updated stadium project

This morning, Cagliari President Tommaso Giulini met with the local council to discuss the plans to demolish the Stadio Sant’Elia, which has not been used for several years and was supposed to have been knocked down in 2022, and put them forward as a host city for EURO 2032.

As part of that plan, the project itself has changed from 25,000 seater to 30,000, allowing it to suit the European standards.

A meeting is also set up with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Wednesday.

“We believe that we are quite far ahead compared to other competitors, because we deposited the definitive project and the metric calculations,” lawyer Antonio Romei told reporters.

“We are in the front row, or near enough, and want to bring the Euros to Cagliari.”

Former Manchester United and Marseille centre-back Eric Bailly has been offered to Serie A clubs Cagliari and Cremonese, reports from Italy claim, after the Ivorian’s contract with Villarreal expired at the start of July.

According to reports from SportMediaset, via CalcioMercato, Bailly’s representatives have been in touch with the Serie A duo. However, despite interest from the two clubs, the player’s wage demands of a reported €1 million per season appear to be the current obstacle.

Experienced defender Bailly could be worth the gamble

Eric Bailly has a wealth of experience in La Liga and the Premier League, in addition to 50 caps for the Ivory Coast national team. The defender won the FA Cup and Europa League with Manchester United in 2016-17 and the African Cup Nations in 2015.

The Ivorian would become a solid addition for either Cagliari and Cremonese but it is yet to be seen whether any party will budge financially.

Cagliari forward Roberto Piccoli is on the radar of Premier League side West Ham United and Portuguese giants Benfica, reports from Italy claim.

According to what has been reported by the Corriere dello Sport, via CalcioNews24, Benfica see the 24-year-old as an ideal profile for the Primeira Liga and could use the allure of Champions League football to tempt the player.

However, Cagliari are offering no discounts on the player. The Sardinian club have set their asking price at €30 million, reflecting his value to the club.

Cagliari will need tempting to sell Piccoli to West Ham or Benfica

Piccoli was vital for Cagliari last season, scoring ten goals in Serie A and another two in Coppa Italia. His goals proved vital as the club finished in 15th place, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Whilst Benfica are reportedly demonstrating the most interest in the player’s signature, West Ham are keeping a close eye on the situation. The Hammers are on the hunt for a new striker and would likely have the financial resources to meet Cagliari’s demands for the 24-year-old.

Former Roma, Inter and Cagliari star Radja Nainggolan is the Belgian player with the most Serie A appearances, followed by Napoli legend Dries Mertens and ex-Fiorentina forward Luis Oliveira.

Kevin De Bruyne was the latest Belgian star to move to Italy this summer, completing a free move to Napoli from Manchester City, but many compatriots of the 34-year-old have graced the Italian league in recent years.

His contract with the Premier League giants expired in June, and Napoli beat competition from Saudi and MLS clubs to secure his signature.

“The main reason for me is that I wanted to play at the highest level, and I think that when the sporting director came to England and proposed what they’re doing and the project around it, it made me excited,” De Bruyne explained in his unveiling press conference.

“We looked at everything, and I thought this was the best place for me to be.

“I’ve been in the Premier League so long and in the end, I made the decision to go out of England, I’ve done what I’ve done and in the end I’m a Man City player for life and I think it was also the way that it ended for me, it’s time to find a new challenge.”

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The connection between Italian and Belgian football grows stronger as the years pass, as clubs from the two countries often become involved in transfer negotiations.

One of the latest examples is Charles De Ketelaere, who struggled in his first season at Milan after a €38m move from Club Brugge but quickly became a key player at Atalanta, even winning the Europa League in the 2023-24 season.

The rise of Belgian talents in Italy justifies the growing interest in Serie A football in the northern European country, although it remains to be seen how the new gaming levies introduced in 2025 could impact fan entertainment budgets.

De Bruyne’s move to Serie A will likely bring exciting opportunities via Peppermillcasino as Napoli are not only defending their domestic champion status in 2025-26 but will also compete in the Champions League after missing out on Europe’s elite club competition last season.

Belgian players with the most Serie A appearances

As previously mentioned, De Bruyne is only the latest Belgian star moving to Italy’s top flight.

One of his most notable compatriots in the Peninsula is Nainggolan, who played for Roma, Cagliari, and Inter, accumulating 367 league appearances. The 37-year-old is the Belgian player with the most appearances in Serie A.

Nainggolan is followed by Mertens, the best scorer in Napoli‘s history, who collected 295 league games with the Partenopei.

Another striker, Luis Oliveira, spent several years in Serie A, playing for Cagliari, Fiorentina and Bologna and accumulating 257 league appearances.

Milan welcomed Pervis Estupinan, Juventus exchanged Joao Mario with Alberto Costa, Inter finally sold Aleksandar Stankovic and more in a busy day for Serie A transfers.

Which transfers were announced in Serie A on July 24, 2025?

Football Italia takes a look at every confirmed transfer in Italy’s top flight today.

Milan have found the replacement for Theo Hernandez, completing the swoop for Brighton and Hove Albion left-back Estupinan for €17m plus add-ons.

Juventus were involved in a double deal, as they handed Alberto Costa over to FC Porto and received Joao Mario in exchange, along with an extra €3m in cash.

After weeks of talks, Inter finally sold Stankovic to Club Brugge for €10m with buy-back options, believed to be set at €22m for 2026 and rising in 2027.

Napoli also sent Michael Folorunsho to Cagliari on loan with option to buy, while Hellas Verona brought in Yellu Santiago as a free agent.

All Serie A transfers confirmed on July 24, 2025

Cyril Ngonge Napoli → Torino (loan with option to buy)

Alberto Costa Juventus → FC Porto (permanent)

Joao Mario FC Porto → Juventus (permanent)

Aleksandar Stankovic Inter → Club Brugge (permanent, buy-back option)

Yellu Santiago Getafe → Verona (free)

Michael Folorunsho Napoli → Cagliari (loan with option to buy)

Pervis Estupinan Brighton → Milan (permanent)

Cristian Padula Torino → Campobasso (loan)

Leonardo Buta Udinese → Eibar

Thomas Gillier Bologna → Montreal

Italy international Michael Folorunsho has officially completed his transfer from Napoli to Cagliari, on a paid loan with option to buy at the end of the season.

The attacking midfielder is reported to have made the move for a total of €8m, if the Sardinians decide to make it permanent in June 2026.

This will be a paid loan with an additional option to purchase.

New experience for Folorunsho in Cagliari

The 27-year-old was called up for the Italy squad at EURO 2024 and was given two senior caps for the Azzurri.

Originally part of the Lazio youth academy, the club he has always supported, Folorunsho joined Napoli in 2019 and went on a series of loan experiences.

These included Bari, Pordenone, Hellas Verona and in January 2025 he went to Fiorentina.

Between Napoli and Fiorentina last season, he made 26 competitive appearances, contributing just a single assist.

Throughout his career, the player amassed 54 Serie A games, scoring five goals and assisting one.

Samuel Mbangula has left Juventus on a permanent basis, Roma have officially announced the signing of their first ever Irish player in Evan Ferguson and Jesper Lindstrom has headed off on a second consecutive season-long loan spell away from Napoli in another busy day of Serie A transfers. 

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Mbangula, who has spent the last five years with Juventus, has completed a permanent move away from the Allianz Stadium to join Bundesliga side Werder Bremen at a cost of €10m plus €2m in bonuses, payable in four financial years.

The Bianconeri are set for more business in the coming days, as Joao Mario has landed in Turin ahead of his transfer from FC Porto, while Alberto Costa is set to go in the opposite direction in a separate deal. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Roma announced their signing of Republic of Ireland international Ferguson on loan with an option to buy from Brighton and Hove Albion. The Giallorossi will have a chance to make the move permanent for a cost of €40m at the end of the season. 

Jesper Lindstrom has been sent out on loan by Napoli again, and has since been announced as a new VfL Wolfsburg player, signing on an initial season-long loan at a cost of €1m, with an option to buy clause set at €12m. 

Simone Scuffet has left Cagliari and joined newly-promoted Serie A side Pisa on a permanent basis after the end of his loan spell with Napoli in the second half of the 2024-25 season. 

Razvan Marin has also left Cagliari on a permanent basis, and has signed with AEK Athens for a reported fee of €1.7m. 

Meanwhile, Emerson Royal now looks set to join Flamengo back in his native Brazil on a permanent deal from Milan, instead of Besiktas, despite being on the verge of signing off on a deal with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Wednesday evening. 

All Serie A transfers confirmed on July 23, 2025

Evan Ferguson – Brighton → Roma (loan, option to buy)

Samuel Mbangula – Juventus → Werder Bremen (permanent)

Simone Scuffet – Cagliari → Pisa (permanent)

Razvan Marin – Cagliari → AEK Athens (permanent)

Jesper Lindstrom – Napoli → Wolfsburg (loan)

Thomas Gillier – Bologna → Montreal (loan)

Matteo Marchisano – Napoli → Avellino (free)

Riccardo Stivanello – Bologna → Torres (loan)

Etienne Catena – Cagliari – Siracusa (permanent)

Maat Daniel Caprini – Fiorentina → Cagliari (loan)

Gennaro Iaccarino – Napoli → Arezzo (loan)

Niccolo Nardi – Fiorentina → Siena (permanent)

Ed McJannet – Lecce → Ternana (loan)

Italy international Michael Folorunsho is undergoing medical tests with Cagliari before completing an initial loan move with an option to buy from Napoli.

Italian midfielder Folorunsho is undergoing medical tests with Cagliari in Rome.

Our exclusive from a few days ago is confirmed as the ex-Hellas Verona star has begun medical tests in the capital this morning and will finalise a loan move to Cagliari later today.

The figures behind the deal are also confirmed, with Folorunsho set to join Cagliari on loan with an €8m option to buy from Napoli.

At the same time, Giuseppe Pezzella’s medical tests with Cremonese have been postponed by a few hours as the Italian defender will undergo tests tomorrow rather than today.

According to Turkish reports, Cagliari have concluded the deal with Besiktas for striker Semih Kilicsoy, on loan for €1m with option to buy for €12m plus add-ons.

This follows the stories in the Italian media suggesting that they were very close to an agreement for the loan with option to buy for €14m.

Impressive young player Kilicsoy set for Cagliari

More details are emerging and Medya Siyah Beyaz maintain the deal is done, with only the signature and medical tests now required to finalise the transfer.

They claim it is a €1m fee for the loan, with a non-obligatory option to make it permanent for a further €12m.

There are also an additional €2m in bonuses, plus giving Besiktas a 20 per cent cut of the future sale fee if he leaves Sardinia.

It would be quite the coup for Cagliari, as Kilicsoy is a very impressive young talent who will turn 20 next month.

He plays as a centre-forward, but can also play in wider roles, and has five senior caps for the Turkish national team.

At Under-21 level, the product of the Besiktas youth academy scored five goals in just six games for his country.

There had also been interest from Leeds United, Aston Villa and Utretcht, but Cagliari managed to snap up Kilicsoy.

Cagliari are reportedly in advanced negotiations with Besiktas to sign Turkish talent Semih Kilicsoy on loan with option to buy for €14m.

According to Sky Sport Italia transfer pundit Gianluca Di Marzio, the talks are progressing well and they are very close to an agreement.

The player had already attracted interest from Leeds United, Aston Villa and Utrecht, but Cagliari seem to have got the upper hand.

Excitement for Semih Kilicsoy at Cagliari

Semih Kilicsoy is a centre-forward who celebrates his 20^th birthday next month, but he can also play in wider attacking roles too.

He has four senior caps for his country, earned under Italian coach Vincenzo Montella, finding the net an impressive five times in just six games for the Under-21 team.

A product of the Besiktas youth academy, the striker scored four goals and provided six assists in 46 competitive appearances for the club last season.

However, he was only in the starting XI for 19 of those games.

Cagliari have been active this summer and also just struck a deal with Napoli for Michael Folorunsho, on loan with €8m option to buy.

As exclusively reported on July 5, Michael Folorunsho will be a new Cagliari player, arriving on loan with option to buy for €8m from Napoli.

It had been a bit of a surprise when we first made the link several weeks ago, but the Partenopei have now given the all-clear.

Folorunsho set for Cagliari medical

The midfielder is ready to undergo his medical tests with Cagliari over the next 48 hours, probably on Wednesday afternoon.

It is going to be a paid loan with option to buy for circa €8m, with Napoli accepting the terms of the formula.

The 27-year-old was part of the Italy squad at the EURO 2024 tournament and has two senior caps for the Azzurri.

A product of the Lazio youth academy, Folorunsho has been at Napoli since 2019, going on a series of loan spells to Bari, Reggina, Pordenone, Hellas Verona and in January 2025 to Fiorentina.

He has 54 Serie A appearances under his belt, scoring five goals and providing one assist.