Sassuolo have signed Belgian defender Fedde Leysen from Union Saint-Gilloise on a season-long loan, with an option to buy that could become an obligation worth about €8m if certain conditions are fulfilled.
The 23-year-old has completed his move to the Serie A club after being linked with a transfer to Bologna earlier in the summer. Leysen was ultimately recruited by Bologna’s local rivals instead, joining Sassuolo as part of an agreement that could become permanent at the end of the season.
Sassuolo’s deal includes a right to purchase the defender once the loan spell concludes. Reports indicate that the clause will be triggered automatically if the club remains in Serie A, although the condition has not been detailed in the official announcement.
If that requirement is met, the overall value of the transfer package is expected to be approximately €8m.
Leysen, who is Belgian, spent part of his development in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven before returning to Belgium in 2023 to join Union Saint-Gilloise.
He established himself as a regular member of the Union Saint-Gilloise side that enjoyed success last season. The team won the Supercup against Club Brugge and also lifted the Belgian Cup, with Leysen involved during that period as a consistent presence in the squad.
His move to Sassuolo gives the defender the opportunity to continue his career in Italy, while the Serie A club have secured flexibility over whether to make the transfer permanent. The structure of the agreement means the final decision may depend on Sassuolo’s position in the league at the end of the campaign.
The signing is another addition to an active summer of recruitment for Sassuolo. The club have also brought in Kieron Bowie, Vasilije Adzic, Benjamin Dominguez, Rafa Obrador and Giacomo Satalino.
Leysen’s arrival strengthens a squad that has undergone considerable change during the transfer window. His immediate future will be with Sassuolo on loan, but the reported survival condition means the Belgian could remain with the club beyond the end of the season if Sassuolo retain their Serie A status.
The defender had attracted attention from Bologna before Sassuolo completed the move, but it is now the latter who hold the option to secure his services permanently. For Union Saint-Gilloise, the agreement provides the prospect of a fee of around €8m should the stated conditions be met.