New at Sporting, Doumbia sparks duel: Mancini in Reboleira | OneFootball

Issa Doumbia’s international future remains undecided, with Italy and Ivory Coast stepping up their efforts to secure the Sporting midfielder. The battle could see decisive developments as early as the next international break, scheduled for September.

According to ‘TuttoMercatoWeb’, Roberto Mancini is considering including the player in the next call-up for Italy’s senior national team. The Italian federation has no intention of giving up on Issa Doumbia and believes the footballer has enough room for development to reach the senior squad.

Members of the Italian federation structure are expected to be present this Saturday in Reboleira to monitor the midfielder’s performance against Estrela da Amadora. The player has already represented Italy’s under-21 side on three occasions, a path that officials hope will weigh on the final decision.

Ivory Coast, meanwhile, has stepped up contacts to convince Doumbia to represent the country of his origins. The midfielder heads into the start of the season as one of Rui Borges’ main bets for the midfield, after leaving an excellent impression during pre-season.

Signed by Sporting from Venezia for €20.5 million, Issa Doumbia is regarded at Alvalade as one of the squad’s assets with the greatest potential. A possible call-up by Italy in September could prove decisive in ending the dispute with the ‘Elephants’.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.