Sassuolo sign Duje Ćaleta-Car on free transfer after Lyon exit

Sassuolo have completed the signing of Croatia international Duje Ćaleta-Car following the termination of his contract with Lyon.

The Serie A club officially confirmed the arrival of the 29-year-old centre-back on Tuesday, adding an experienced defender to Alberto Aquilani’s squad on deadline day.

Ćaleta-Car joins as a free agent after reaching a mutual agreement with Lyon to end a contract that had been due to run until June 2027. L’Équipe reports that the termination allows the French club to remove one of its higher salaries from the wage bill, with no transfer fee involved in the move to Sassuolo.

The defender spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Real Sociedad, where he was part of the squad that won the Copa del Rey. He returned to Lyon this summer but did not feature in Paulo Fonseca’s plans before securing a permanent exit.

Ćaleta-Car originally joined Lyon from Southampton in 2023, initially on loan, before completing a permanent move the following year. He made 57 appearances for the French club.

His career also includes spells with Marseille, Southampton and Red Bull Salzburg, while Sassuolo highlighted his extensive European experience after confirming the signing. He has made 57 appearances across the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League and has earned 38 senior caps for Croatia.

The move gives Sassuolo another senior option at centre-back while allowing Ćaleta-Car to begin a new chapter in Serie A after playing in France, England, Spain and Austria.

Unlike several other deadline-day deals, this transfer is complete and official: Sassuolo have announced Ćaleta-Car as a new player after his Lyon contract was terminated by mutual consent.