Cagliari has secured a surprise, last-minute signing of striker Andrea Belotti, depositing the contract with the league just before the 8 PM transfer deadline. The move concludes a dramatic final day of negotiations for the rossoblu club, whose incoming transfer business had appeared complete following the arrivals of defenders Ze Pedro and Rodriguez.
The opportunity for the transfer emerged in the afternoon when Belotti, unconvinced by proposals from Valencia and Sampdoria, expressed his certainty that he could still perform in Serie A. Cagliari then stepped in decisively to secure the deal. Club president Tommaso Giulini and sporting director Nereo Angelozzi did not hesitate, and the player was reportedly very receptive to the club’s interest. An agreement was finalized shortly thereafter.
Belotti, born in 1993, spent last season on loan at Benfica, scoring three goals in 14 appearances in the Portuguese league. Prior to his move abroad, he had scored two goals in 18 games for Como. In the 2023-24 season, he netted a total of six goals split between his time at Roma and Fiorentina.
His first season with Roma after leaving Torino, where he scored 100 goals in 232 matches, yielded no league goals. The Italian international was also part of the Italy squad that won UEFA Euro 2020, featuring in four games during the tournament.