A transfer sensation is brewing in the Ukrainian football world that could rewrite the financial history of Zhytomyr's Polissya. Eduard Sarapiy, the 27-year-old central defender and leader of the Ukrainian national team, who has become one of the team's key figures in the 2025/26 season, is in the final stages of negotiations with Italian club Sassuolo. The deal, which could be finalized soon, involves not just a loan but a full transfer with a mandatory buyout, with a total cost that could reach 7 million euros.

Financial breakthrough and record-breaking deal

According to information from insiders Igor Burbas and Mikhail Spivakovskiy, published by Sport RBC.UA, the Italian club has already submitted an official offer to the Zhytomyr team. The terms of the deal look extremely attractive for the Ukrainian side: Sassuolo is considering a paid loan for one season with a mandatory buyout option. If the parties reach an agreement, this deal will become an absolute record sale in the history of Polissya.

Currently, the lead in the list of the club's most expensive transfers is held by Artem Smolyakov's move to the American club Los Angeles for 2 million euros. Thus, Sarapiy's potential departure to Serie A would triple the club's budget, which would be an unprecedented event for a team that was recently fighting for survival in the elite of Ukrainian football.

The role of Andrea Maldera and Serie A interest

The key role in sparking the interest of Italian scouts was played by the head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Andrea Maldera. According to available data, the specialist personally advised his compatriot, Sassuolo coach Alberto Aquilani, to pay attention to the Ukrainian defender. The Italian club noted Sarapiy's performance for the national team during a friendly match against Poland (2:0), where the Polissya vice-captain played all 90 minutes, demonstrating high defensive efficiency.

In total, in 2026, Eduard played three matches for the "blue and yellows," cementing his status as a reliable performer on the international stage. His statistics in the 2025/26 season are also impressive: the defender played 37 matches in all tournaments and scored 6 goals, which is an outstanding figure for a central defender.

Career path and current valuation

Eduard Sarapiy is a product of Kyiv Dynamo's academy, but his path to success took him through several clubs. Throughout his career, he played for Metalurh (Zaporizhzhia), Kharkiv's Metalist, and Dnipro-1, before joining Polissya in the summer of 2024. It was in Zhytomyr that the defender blossomed, becoming a key player and team leader.

Interestingly, the authoritative analytical portal Transfermarkt values the footballer's transfer fee at only 2.5 million euros. This creates a significant gap between the market valuation and the actual deal price, confirming the high demand for the player from the Italian club and Polissya's desire to maximize the monetization of their graduate's success.

Contradictory data

While the main narrative revolves around a move to Sassuolo, there are alternative versions in the football community. It was previously reported that Mykhailo Mudryk's former coach wants to arrange a loan for the Ukrainian in an EPL club. This creates certain competition for the player, and it is currently unclear how serious the intentions of English clubs are compared to the already formalized offer from the Italians. Furthermore, there are discrepancies in cost estimates: while insiders cite a figure of 7 million euros, market aggregators continue to indicate more modest figures, which could indicate hidden bonuses or long-term contracts not reflected in open sources.