Turin Transfer Market: A Surprise Move on the Wing—Pedersen’s Replacement Has Been Identified

Torino continues to revamp the wings of Ignazio Abate’s squad. Following the arrival of Niccolò Fortini, the Granata have set their sights on another player in anticipation of Marcus Pedersen’s likely departure, as he has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs.

According to reports from Sportitalia, Petrachi has taken concrete steps to sign Vitinho, Botafogo’s right winger. The 1999-born player has also caught the attention of several Bundesliga clubs, including Eintracht Frankfurt, and Torino must speed up negotiations to beat the competition to the punch. The Piedmontese club would like to sign him on loan with an obligation to buy, while the Brazilian club would prefer an immediate permanent transfer.

Vitinho is an experienced fullback, capable of playing on both flanks as well as in more advanced positions. He came up through the ranks at Cruzeiro and has also played for Cercle Brugge and Burnley in Europe. His strong performances in Brazil over the past few seasons have driven his price up to 10 million euros. This figure is within Torino’s budget, as the club hopes to sell Pedersen to England for a similar amount.

In addition to the aforementioned sale of Pedersen, Petrachi is also trying to offload Ivan Ilic, a Serbian midfielder who no longer fits into Abate’s tactical plans. Born in 2001, he’s training separately despite having no physical issues, and there has been interest from the Eredivisie—with Utrecht at the forefront—in addition to the already known interest from Mainz and Freiburg in the Bundesliga and Frosinone in Serie A. Torino aims to recoup part of the 16 million invested in January 2023 to sign him from Hellas Verona, aware that his contract—which expires in 2027—is gradually reducing their room to maneuver.