Lecce Transfer Market: Di Francesco Signs the Granata’s Released Player

Talks between Lecce and Torino regarding Ivan Ilic are proceeding at a rapid pace. The Serbian midfielder is one of the Salento-based club’s transfer targets, and the deal is now reportedly entering its decisive phase. An agreement is expected to be reached on a loan basis, but before leaving the Granata, the player is expected to sign a contract extension with Torino.

There had also been talk of a return to the Netherlands for the former Hellas Verona player, where he previously played for NAC Breda. Utrecht, coming off a difficult start to the Eredivisie season—with two losses in the first two matchdays and a dramatic 3-3 draw against Sparta Rotterdam, which came after conceding the equalizer in the 96th minute—is said to have shown interest. The Dutch club has reportedly already made some initial inquiries to assess the terms and feasibility of the deal. But it may be too late…

Ilic’s situation had progressively deteriorated during the summer training camp. Upon returning from the training camp in Pinzolo, head coach Ignazio Abate and sporting director Gianluca Petrachi were expecting significant signs of improvement from the player, especially in terms of intensity and determination. The hoped-for response, however, never materialized, and the Serbian player has definitively slipped to the margins of the coaching staff’s plans, to the point where he was no longer called up for the team’s most recent matches.

The player’s recent history also played a role in the situation: back problems had already severely hampered him last season, limiting him to about ten league appearances. Among the potential suitors, in addition to Utrecht and Lecce, there had previously been inquiries from the Bundesliga, with Mainz and Freiburg making exploratory contacts, as well as interest from Frosinone—newly promoted to Serie A—which had been the first to test the waters in the preceding weeks.

From a financial standpoint, Torino aims to recoup some of the investment made in January 2023, when it spent over 16 million euros to sign him from Verona. His market value has since dropped significantly, and Torino is aware that this transfer window represents one of the last opportunities to profit from his departure before his contract, set to expire in 2027, effectively makes him a free agent.