Turin Transfer Market: Two Offers for the Player Left Out by Abate

Torino’s transfer market strategy necessarily involves the sale of certain players who no longer fit into the plans of the club and its new coach, Ignazio Abate. Among them is Ali Dembélé, a French fullback of Malian descent who joined the Granata in 2022.

In recent seasons, the fullback has played on loan at Venezia and Mantova, while he has made a total of 17 appearances for the Piedmont-based club, scoring one goal. Abate has been monitoring him during this preseason and has given the green light for his transfer. Mantova—which had him on loan last year and would like to repeat the arrangement by including an option to buy—and Empoli are in the running to sign him. Empoli, which is bolstering its squad ahead of the Serie B season, is interested in the French player, but only for a one-year loan without an option to buy. There could be updates in the coming hours.

Ivan Ilic is also increasingly on the periphery of Abate’s plans: the Serbian midfielder has slipped to the margins of the coach’s selections following his return from the summer training camp in Pinzolo, where he reportedly failed to impress in terms of either intensity or determination. Frosinone, newly promoted to Serie A, is reportedly interested in him and has made initial inquiries to gauge the feasibility of the deal.

On the incoming transfers front, however, Torino has set its sights on Alphadjo Cissé, a young attacking midfielder born in 2006 who is owned by Milan. The Rossoneri had purchased him from Verona during the winter transfer window for approximately 8 million euros, then loaned him to Catanzaro, where the youngster had seen playing time before being sidelined by an injury. Urbano Cairo’s club has requested the player on loan, and Milan is open to negotiations—but only on a temporary basis and without an option to buy, in line with the Rossoneri’s policy for managing their most promising talents.