Andrea Belotti's proposed return to Serie A with Cagliari has fallen through after the 32-year-old forward failed his medical examination, leaving him without a club as the 2026-27 season approaches.
The breakdown matters beyond one player's employment status. Cagliari, who finished 16th in Serie A under coach Davide Nicola with 40 points from 37 matches, were evidently seeking a proven goalscorer to address an attack that managed just 38 goals across the campaign — a figure that reflects how close the Sardinians cut it to the relegation places. Belotti, available on a free transfer, represented a low-risk, high-upside proposition. The medical changed that calculation entirely.
What the supplementary examinations revealed has not been disclosed, and speculation about the specifics would be unfounded. The fact that additional tests were required before the deal collapsed suggests the initial screening raised concerns that a second round confirmed. Cagliari acted accordingly and withdrew.
Belotti's season data from 2025-26 offers its own context. Across eight Serie A appearances, he scored twice and contributed no assists, carrying an average match rating of 6.70. An AI overall score of 75 out of 100 — with a potential ceiling of 74 — signals a player whose best attributes are already largely expressed. At 32, with a medical failure now on record, the path back into top-flight Italian football has narrowed considerably.
Cagliari have not stood still in the transfer window. The club officially signed Jacopo Fazzini from Fiorentina on loan with an option to buy for €8 million, a move that reinforces the midfield rather than the attack. The Fazzini deal and the Belotti collapse together sketch a club recalibrating its ambitions carefully, aware that Nicola's squad needs structural improvement rather than a single marquee addition.
For Belotti, the free-agent status that made him attractive to Cagliari now persists into the summer with no obvious landing spot in sight.