Cagliari Transfer Market: An “Azzurro” Heads to Sardinia to Replace Sebastiano Esposito
Cagliari Transfer News: Sebastiano Esposito is set to leave Sardinia, but the name of his potential replacement is already on the table. And the deal could be feasible, given that it involves a club that has long been a “friend” of the Sardinian side: Atalanta. Following the excellent outcome of the Marco Palestra deal, the highly substantial Michel Adopo transfer, and the less successful move involving Ibrahim Sulemana, the solution appears to be another loan from Bergamo: that of Daniel Maldini.
Fresh off a season split between Atalanta and Lazio (curiously led by Maurizio Sarri, who has since moved to Bergamo), the son of a former footballer is aiming for a comeback season to once again showcase the quality he demonstrated, especially at Monza. A standout year would also be ideal for regaining his spot on the national team, a jersey he hasn’t worn since September 2025. For this reason, according to ‘Sky Sport,’ Atalanta would like to send him out on loan again and sees Cagliari as the ideal destination, even ahead of other suitors. Such as, for example, Sassuolo. Esposito himself, however, could move to Bergamo, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations for Maldini.
Maldini’s recent history with Lazio has provided valuable insight into his worth. Having arrived in Formello during the winter transfer window as part of an ambitious wave of reinforcements that also brought Kenneth Taylor, Petar Ratkov, and Adrian Przyborek to the capital, the attacking midfielder found some consistency under Sarri’s guidance, also contributing with crucial goals—most notably the one he scored in the 95th minute of the dramatic 3-3 draw against Udinese. It was, however, a season that fell short of the club’s overall expectations, though it was enough to confirm the qualities of the 2001-born player.
Regarding the situation that led to Esposito’s departure, it’s worth noting that Cagliari issued an official statement stating that the player “left the first-team training camp in Ponte di Legno without authorization,” failing to travel with the team to Germany for the friendly against Union Berlin. Tensions between the parties are therefore extremely high, and it comes as no surprise that, in addition to Atalanta, Gattuso’s Lazio has also positioned itself to take advantage of the situation, with the Calabrian coach having long been a great admirer of the 2002-born forward.
Cagliari, meanwhile, has not been sitting idly by when it comes to offensive alternatives. The Sardinian club’s management is reportedly stepping up its pursuit of Kevin Carlos, a Spanish forward born in 2001 who played for Nice last season: the player wasn’t even called up for the French side’s friendly against Juventus and is already ready to pack his bags to settle in Sardinia. His name thus joins Maldini’s on the list of options being considered by the Rossoblù club to ensure they are not caught unprepared for the season’s opening matches.
Finally, it should be noted that competition for Maldini is not limited to Sassuolo, as mentioned earlier. As early as the end of June, Parma had also expressed interest—with coach Carlos Cuesta reportedly specifically requesting the attacking midfielder’s arrival—as had Sassuolo themselves, with new coach Alberto Aquilani in favor of the deal. The most likely scenario for all these negotiations remains a loan deal with an option to buy should certain conditions be met, but the final say will inevitably rest with Sarri, whom the player already knows very well, having been coached by him during the second half of last season.
