SASSUOLO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Matteo Darmian of FC Internazionale celebrates during the Serie A match between USA Sassuolo Calcio and FC Internazionale at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on February 08, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Reports in Italy claim that Bologna will officially announce the signing of Matteo Darmian by the end of the week, with the former Inter and Torino defender set to sign a one-year contract with the Rossoblu with an option to extend after spending the last week in training.
Bologna is preparing to sign Darmia on a free transfer
Darmian was released as a free agent after leaving Inter after his contract expired on June 30. He won nine trophies during his time at the San Siro, three in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa, and also reached the Champions League final in 2023 and 2025.
Darmian had several offers during the summer, and with the 36-year-old also being offered a backroom role at Inter, he ultimately decided to take time out to gauge his next move.
He began training with Bologna at the beginning of October after Rossoblu right-back Emil Holm suffered a serious injury while away with the Swedish national team. Holm underwent surgery and is expected to miss four to six months.
Bologna’s staff have assessed Darmian’s fitness and match sharpness over the past week and will complete a deal for the veteran on Thursday, according to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio on Wednesday.
According to reports elsewhere, Darmian will sign an initial contract until the end of the 2026-27 season with the option of a further 12-month extension.