Issa Doumbia

Issa Doumbia's move to Venezia in 2024 came at a cost the selling club had never seen: AlbinoLeffe took in €1 million for the player, a record sale. He had come up through Ciserano before joining the AlbinoLeffe academy and going on to make 82 appearances in Serie C, scoring four goals and setting up five more between 2021 and 2024.

In the 2025–2026 season he contributed to Venezia's promotion to Serie A, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists across 38 appearances as the club won the Serie B title. Lega B recognised the campaign by naming him to its 'Top 11 Italiana U23'.

That form fed into international recognition: Doumbia, born in Treviglio to parents of Ivorian origin, represents Italy at Under-21 level. He received his first call-up in March 2025 and had earned three caps by June that year, enough to take him to the 2025 European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia, where Italy reached the quarter-finals before losing to Germany.

In June 2026, Sporting CP moved for him, agreeing a fixed fee of around €20.5 million that could rise to €26.8 million with add-ons. He signed with the Lisbon club until 2031, with an €80 million buyout clause written into the deal, while Venezia secured a 10% sell-on clause that ties them to his future value.