Pisa have triggered their purchase option for Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, but Inter Milan hold a buy-back clause and are reportedly ready to use it leaving the Super Eagles midfielder caught in the middle of a transfer standoff between two Italian clubs.
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Super Eagles midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro is at the centre of a complicated summer transfer situation, with reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan weighing whether to exercise an €8.5 million buy back clause after Pisa signalled their intent to sign him permanently for €7.5 million.
The 21 year old spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Pisa from Inter, his second consecutive loan spell in Italian football after a season at Sampdoria in Serie B the year before. He contributed one assist in 25 Serie A appearances for Pisa, though he could not prevent the Tuscany club from finishing bottom of the table and being relegated back to Serie B. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, Pisa triggered their purchase option regardless, underscoring how highly they rate the Lagos-born midfielder even after a difficult campaign.
Transfer journalist Nicolò Schira broke the news in early May, reporting that Pisa had pressed the button on the €7 million buy option but that Inter were already preparing to respond by activating their counter clause. New bettors keen to follow Nigerian talent in Serie A next season can get started with the Nigeria’s top Bet9ja code ahead of the new campaign.
How The Clause Structure Works
When Akinsanmiro joined Pisa on loan in July 2025, the deal was structured with deliberate precision. Pisa received the right to purchase him permanently at the end of the season for a set fee. Inter, however, inserted a counter clause giving them the power to buy him back at a slightly higher price within the same window. It is a mechanism Italian clubs increasingly use to protect investments in young players while still allowing them to develop away from the first team.
In this case, Pisa can acquire Akinsanmiro for approximately €7.5 million. But Inter’s buy-back clause sits at €8.5 million, meaning that even if Pisa complete their purchase, Inter can immediately overturn it by paying the higher fee. The financial gap between the two clauses is just €1 million, but the consequences of that gap could determine whether Akinsanmiro spends next season in Serie B with a relegated Pisa or returns to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Nigerian supporters curious about Serie A betting markets can check the the YOHAIG promo code for the best available welcome offer.
Why Inter Are Reluctant To Let Him Go
Akinsanmiro joined Inter from Remo Stars in January 2023 for a fee of roughly €500,000. The Serie A champions beat competition from Real Madrid and Benfica to secure his signature, a fact that speaks clearly to how seriously European scouts had tracked his development in the NPFL. His total transfer value has risen dramatically since that point Pisa’s purchase option alone represents a 14 fold return on Inter’s original outlay.
Inter’s decision to insert a buy-back clause was not a formality. The club rate Akinsanmiro’s long-term potential highly and have maintained a close watch on him throughout his loan spells. During his time at Pisa, he drew favourable attention from within the San Siro for his work rate, composure in possession, and ability to drive play forward. The Nerazzurri’s view, based on multiple reports from Italy, is that he has the ceiling to develop into a top tier Serie A midfielder. Fans tracking his next club can follow transfer updates through Bet9ja’s sign-up page and back Nigerian players in European action next season.
Pisa, for their part, want continuity. Losing key players after relegation is a common problem for clubs dropping down a division, and they see Akinsanmiro as one of the players capable of driving an immediate promotion push in Serie B. Whether that argument carries enough weight when Inter hold all the contractual cards remains to be seen.
The Super Eagles Picture
For Nigeria, the resolution of this transfer saga carries real interest. Akinsanmiro received his first Super Eagles call-up in October 2025 for World Cup playoff matches against Gabon, but a shoulder injury denied him his debut. He made Eric Chelle’s AFCON 2025 squad and played 45 minutes in a warm-up friendly against Egypt, though he did not feature in a single minute during the tournament itself.
At 21, with Serie A experience now on his record and one of Italy’s biggest clubs still invested in his future, Akinsanmiro has the platform to become a central figure for Nigeria in the years ahead. Whether his next season is spent at Inter, at Pisa, or elsewhere on loan, his trajectory since leaving Lagos for Milan in January 2023 has been one of the more quietly impressive Nigerian football stories of recent years.
📌 Did You Know?
- Inter Milan signed Akinsanmiro from Remo Stars in January 2023 for approximately €500,000, beating off interest from Real Madrid and Benfica to land the then 18 year old midfielder.
- Akinsanmiro is the third Nigerian ever to play for Pisa Sporting Club in Italian professional football, joining a very short list of Nigerian players in the club’s history.
- His Serie A debut came in February 2024, when he made a substitute appearance for Inter against Lecce while still primarily part of the club’s Primavera setup.
- During his loan at Sampdoria in the 2024/25 Serie B season, Akinsanmiro made between 33 and 35 appearances and scored once, earning strong reviews from Italian football observers for his adaptability and work ethic.
- Pisa finished rock-bottom of Serie A in the 2025/26 season with just 18 points from 35 games, yet still chose to activate their purchase option for Akinsanmiro, which says a great deal about how much the club rates him personally even in difficult circumstances.
- Transfer insider Nicolò Schira confirmed in May 2026 that Akinsanmiro’s Inter contract runs until 2030, meaning whichever club holds his registration this summer will be tied to him for several years.
- If Inter exercise their €8.5 million buy-back clause, Akinsanmiro’s value will have grown from €500,000 to €8.5 million in just three and a half years, representing a 17 fold increase on the original fee paid to Remo Stars.
