Sassuolo Transfer Market: To Alberto Aquilani’s delight, a deal has been struck with Hellas Verona
Amid these hectic days on the transfer market, Rafik Belghali’s increasingly likely move to Sassuolo is also taking shape. The Neroverdi, who kicked off their Serie A season with a narrow loss on the road against Atalanta, have stepped up talks for the 24-year-old Hellas Verona winger, following a preliminary agreement reached in recent days. The deal between the two clubs is also expected to include Edoardo Iannoni, a midfielder born in 2001, who is highly regarded by Verona coach Marco Baroni and whose transfer rights would be used as partial compensation.
Belghali arrived at Verona in the summer of 2025 as a replacement for Jackson Tchatchoua, who was transferred to Wolverhampton. The Gialloblù had purchased him outright from KV Mechelen, where the right back of Algerian descent had made 36 appearances last season in the Pro League, contributing one goal and one assist. Having come up through the youth systems of Sint-Truiden, PSV, Lierse, Zulte Waregem, and Lommel, the Leuven-born defender had signed a contract with Verona running through June 2029. A significant investment, therefore, which Verona would now be willing to cash in on following its relegation to Serie B at the end of last season.
The drop to the second division has inevitably reshuffled the deck at Verona. Baroni, confirmed as the Gialloblù’s head coach with the specific mandate to bring the club back to Serie A, has already had to contend with a season start that was anything but encouraging: after a hard-fought qualification to the next round of the Coppa Italia against Virtus Entella—which they beat only in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in regulation—Verona lost at home in their league opener against Ascoli, suffering a comeback from a 1-0 lead to a 1-2 defeat. This double wake-up call makes it even more urgent to trim the roster and recoup financial resources.
On the Sassuolo front, the 2-1 loss in their season opener on Atalanta’s home turf confirmed some structural weaknesses already highlighted by head coach Alberto Aquilani during the transfer window. The Neroverdi, who fielded a starting lineup in Bergamo without Berardi—still sidelined by injury—and Pinamonti, whose departure to another club now seems all but certain, are seeking reinforcements on the wings to add more width and unpredictability to their attack. Belghali, a versatile player capable of consistently pushing forward, fits the profile sought by Aquilani perfectly.
