Venice market, Serie B star leaves Italy: Issa Doumbia to Lisbon
Salciomercato Venezia: one of the main protagonists of last Serie B will not play in the upcoming Serie A. It is Issa Doumbia, author of six goals in 31 league appearances for the lagunari whose jersey, however, he will not wear in his return to the Italian top league. On Monday, in fact, his transfer to Lisbon was made official, where he will play for Sporting, which paid for his permanent tag for a record sum. In fact, there is talk of 20 million euros plus bonuses (which could raise the figure to 26) for the Azzurrini midfielder, who was born in 2003 in Treviglio and has already made his debut for Italy Under 21.
This is the statement with which the Veneti said goodbye to the player: “Venezia FC communicates that it has reached an agreement with Sporting Clube de Portugal for the permanent transfer of midfielder Issa Doumbia. Arrived in the lagoon at the beginning of the 24/25 season, Doumbia has collected a total of 63 appearances with the orange and green jersey, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists, all made in the extraordinary 2025/26 season.”
“During the last year, Issa has established himself as one of the great protagonists of Venezia FC, contributing decisively to the victory of the Serie B championship thanks to his performances and constant growth. The club would like to thank Issa for his commitment, professionalism and attachment, wishing him the best personal and professional satisfaction in the continuation of his career. Good luck, Issa,” the statement still reads, sanctioning Doumbia’s farewell to Serie A.
It should be recalled that Sporting was not the only club to have taken an interest in the orange-and-green midfielder: Juventus had also been following him closely, but the Portuguese club burned the competition from the Bianconeri by speeding up the pace and closing the deal early. Venezia, moreover, would have included in the contract a percentage on the player’s future resale, thus securing a potential additional income in case of a future transfer of the 2003-born talent.
Grown up in Albinoleffe’s youth academy, Doumbia had made his professional debut in 2021 precisely with the Bergamo-based club, before being picked up by Venezia in the summer of 2024 for just €1 million plus bonuses. An investment that turned out to be extraordinarily far-sighted on the part of the Lagoon management, considering that the player’s value literally exploded within two seasons under the guidance of Giovanni Stroppa. A pliant and physically strong midfielder, Doumbia is capable of covering all midfield roles, from central midfielder to trequartista, passing through the role of winger.
The proceeds of the sale now represent an important treasure that sporting director Antonelli intends to reinvest in the market to set up a competitive squad for the upcoming Serie A championship. Among the names already in the pipeline are free agents Helgason, from Lecce, and Basic, formerly of Lazio. But the real coup the lagoon club is trying to pull off concerns the offensive department: the most talked-about profile is that of Niclas Füllkrug, a German center forward born in 1993 who has been released by AC Milan after the Rossoneri decided not to exercise the redemption right set at 5 million euros with West Ham. Physicality, international experience and a desire to relaunch himself after a disappointing second half of the season in the Rossoneri: characteristics that would make him the ideal reinforcement for Venezia. In the background also remains the name of El Shaarawy, who after the end of his adventure with Roma could be another option for the newly promoted club.
