After leading Venezia back to Serie A, rising midfielder Issa Doumbia is set for a blockbuster move to Portugal worth more than €20 million.
Venezia FC is on the verge of completing the most lucrative transfer sale in club history.
According to reports in Italy, Issa Doumbia is close to joining Sporting CP in a deal valued at €20 million plus bonuses after a breakout season that helped Venezia secure promotion back to Serie A.
The agreement could ultimately rise to €26 million, with part of the bonus package tied to difficult performance-related objectives.
For Venezia, the transfer represents far more than a major financial windfall — it is also validation of the club’s increasingly admired scouting and development model.
Doumbia, a dynamic box-to-box midfielder born in Treviglio to Ivorian parents, was playing in Serie C with UC AlbinoLeffe as recently as 2024.
At the time, Venezia sporting director Filippo Antonelli and head scout Antonio Cavallo made the bold decision to invest around €1 million to sign the then-20-year-old — a significant gamble for a player coming from Italy’s third division.
That move now looks visionary.
After struggling initially during Venezia’s previous Serie A campaign under Eusebio Di Francesco, Doumbia exploded this season following the club’s return to Serie B and the arrival of coach Giovanni Stroppa.
The 22-year-old became one of the league’s standout midfielders, finishing the campaign with 10 goals and 6 assists while emerging as the symbol of Venezia’s promotion run.
His athleticism, ability to contribute in both phases of play, and improved production in the final third quickly attracted attention from across Europe.
Doumbia has also represented Italy national under-21 football team, further increasing his profile among top clubs.
Interest had already intensified during the January transfer window, when teams including Club Brugge KV, Celtic FC, RCD Espanyol, and Southampton FC reportedly made inquiries.
Several Serie A giants were also closely monitoring his development, with scouts regularly attending Venezia matches throughout the season.
But Sporting moved fastest once Venezia secured promotion.
The Portuguese champions have built a strong reputation for identifying emerging talent from smaller European leagues, and Doumbia fits perfectly into that strategy.
The move has drawn comparisons to Sporting’s 2023 signing of Morten Hjulmand from US Lecce — another midfielder developed in Italy before making the jump abroad for a similar fee.
Now Doumbia appears ready to follow the same path.
For Venezia, the sale will provide a massive financial boost heading into their return to Serie A.
For Doumbia, it is the next step in one of Italian soccer’s fastest-rising success stories.
