Joao Pedro set for Serie A return four years after forgettable Italy debut

Reports in Italy claim that Pisa have paid Joao Pedro’s release clause, so the ex-Cagliari striker will return to Serie A four years after making his only appearance with the Italy national team in a painful loss to North Macedonia in the World Cup play-off.

Former Cagliari striker Joao Pedro, scorer of 71 goals in 281 Serie A matches, is set to return to Italy’s top flight.

Italian sources, including Gazzetta, claim that the struggling Nerazzurri have agreed to pay his €3.5m release clause to sign him from Atletico San Luis.

According to reports, Joao Pedro will arrive for medical tests on Sunday.

Joao Pedro, 33, has netted13 goals in 18 matches in the Mexican league this season.

Born in Brazil but with an Italian passport, Joao Pedro has only collected one appearance with La Nazionale and it was in one of the worst games in recent years for La Nazionale as it saw the Azzurri be eliminated from the World Cup play-off semifinal against North Macedonia.

Joao Pedro replaced Domenico Berardi at minute 89, but just three minutes later, Aleksandar Trajkovski scored the winning goal for North Macedonia, preventing Italy from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

Joao Pedro left Cagliari in the following summer, joining Fenerbahce.