Cagliari agree Yukinari Sugawara loan with option to buy

Cagliari have agreed a deal to sign Yukinari Sugawara from Southampton on loan with an option to buy, with the Japan international undergoing medical checks in Italy on deadline day.

Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the Serie A club have settled on a loan with a purchase option for the 26-year-old right-back, while ANSA reported that medical tests had been scheduled in Rome as Cagliari moved to complete the transfer.

Neither Cagliari nor Southampton have formally announced the move, so the deal remains subject to the final medical and registration procedures.

Reports differ slightly over the value of the purchase option. Fabrizio Romano has put the figure at €5.5 million, while other reporting has cited €5 million. The structure of the deal is therefore clear, but the precise value of the option remains unconfirmed.

Sugawara joined Southampton from AZ Alkmaar in July 2024 on a four-year contract and made 32 appearances in all competitions during his first season at St Mary’s. He then spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Werder Bremen, where he made 31 Bundesliga appearances and provided six assists.

The move to Sardinia would give Sugawara another season in a top European division after his spells in the Premier League and Bundesliga, while Cagliari are moving to reinforce the right side of their defence before the Italian transfer window closes.

For now, the transfer should be treated as advanced rather than official: the clubs have agreed a loan with an option to buy and Sugawara has entered the medical process, but confirmation from Cagliari or Southampton is still awaited.