Immobile joins Bologna after Besiktas release

Bologna have confirmed the arrival of Ciro Immobile following the striker's release by Besiktas last week.

Immobile spent one season in the Turkish Super Lig, scoring 15 goals in 30 appearances as Besiktas finished fourth under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who took the reins midway through the season.

Last Friday, the Istanbul giants confirmed they had terminated the 35-year-old's contract one year early, after he outlined his desire to return to Italy.

And his Serie A comeback will be with Coppa Italia victors Bologna, who will also participate in the Europa League next season after ending their 51-year trophy drought in May.

Immobile has signed a one-year contract with the Rossoblu, with the club possessing an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.

Immobile's most recent spell in Italy, with Lazio between 2016 and 2024, was hugely successful as he plundered 169 goals in 270 Serie A matches.

He scored at least 66 more goals in the Italian top flight than any other player in that time, ahead of Inter's Lautaro Martinez, with 103.

Immobile averaged a goal every 126.2 minutes in Serie A with the Biancocelesti, with his most prolific campaign coming in 2019-20, when he netted 36 times in 37 outings.

Immobile, a Euro 2020 winner with Italy who was left out of their Euro 2024 squad, has also had spells with Juventus, Pescara, Genoa, Torino, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla. 

Bologna open their 2025-26 Serie A campaign against Roma, now under the management of Gian Piero Gasperini, on August 23.