Turin Transfer Market: Ivan Ilic’s Transfer Is Finalized—He’ll Stay in Italy; The Numbers

Torino is set to part ways with Ivan Ilic: according to reports from Sky, the Serbian midfielder will remain in Italy and join Eusebio Di Francesco’s team in Lecce.

According to rumors reported by the satellite broadcaster, the player will renew his expiring contract with Torino before moving on a free loan to Lecce, with a buyout clause set at 5 million euros.

Ilic arrived in Turin from Verona in January 2023 on loan and was subsequently bought outright by the Granata for over 16 million euros. The player made 76 appearances for the Piedmontese club, where he never managed to shine. Last season, he played only nine games. A product of Manchester City’s youth academy, Ilic has also played for Zemun, NAC Breda, and Verona during his career. He is now looking to relaunch his career at Lecce.

Back problems severely hampered him last season, limiting him to about ten league appearances. Before Lecce made a decisive move, there had been interest 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. The possibility of a return to the Netherlands had also been discussed, with Utrecht having made some inquiries, but in the end, the move to Salento prevailed.

From a financial standpoint, Torino was aware that it could not recoup its original investment. His market value had dropped significantly from the 16 million spent in 2023, and Torino knew that this transfer window represented one of the last opportunities to monetize his departure before his contract, set to expire in 2027, would effectively make him a free agent.