Lecce, Stulic arrives: the post-Krstovic era begins.

Lecce has its new center forward. Nikola Stulic, a Serbian striker arriving from Charleroi, a team playing in the Belgian first division, is the chosen one to replace Nikola Krstović, with whom, ironically, he also shares a name, as well as a destiny at the Giallorossi. Following the Montenegrin's departure to Atalanta in a €25 million deal, the Giallorossi club has made a decisive move for the 23-year-old Serbian. Stulic, in fact, had been monitored by the transfer duo of technical director Pantaleo Corvino and sporting director Stefano Trinchera for several weeks.

Krstović's departure clearly forced a speeding up of the process and launched the momentum for a positive outcome. Stulic is coming off a strong season in Belgium, finishing with 17 goals. Furthermore, in recent weeks he has already scored twice for Charleroi, once in the league and once in qualifying for next season's Conference League. He also has two caps for the Serbian senior national team, where he made his debut in 2023. Lecce strongly believes in him and has completed the transaction on a permanent basis. The transaction costs around six million euros, a significant sum considering that Stulic's contract expires in June 2026, but it also demonstrates the Giallorossi's desire to invest in the young Serbian talent with a significant investment.

The 2003-born player is expected in Salento in the next few hours to undergo his usual medical, after which he will sign for his new club. The goal is to take to the field as early as Friday evening in the exciting match against AC Milan, scheduled for 8:45 PM at the "Via del Mare" stadium. He, along with Francesco Camarda, will form the number nine duo that Lecce hopes will provide important goals to secure survival. With Stulic, Lecce's incoming goals can be considered achieved.

Krstović's sale appears to have effectively kick-started the Salento club's transfer momentum, with the club completing a series of key deals to strengthen the squad in just a few days. In defense, Jamil Siebert arrived from Fortuna Düsseldorf. Born in 2002, and a former German Under-21 international, he is set to become the starting center back alongside Kialonda Gaspar. Lecce also made a significant financial investment for him, finalizing a deal worth a total of €6 million, including a fixed and variable component. Siebert has already had the opportunity to get some practice time with his new teammates and has been named in the squad for the first away match of the season, away to Genoa. The German is a strong contender to make his debut against Milan, although coach Eusebio Di Francesco can already count on Tiago Gabriel, who has looked impressive in his first competitive outings, to play in his position.

On Sunday, Alex Sala, a midfielder born in 2001 and signed on a permanent deal from Cordoba, completed his first training session with the team. The Spaniard arrives in Salento to play as a box-to-box midfielder, capable of providing both quality and quantity in the midfield. Sala is also a specialist in long-range shooting, a move that can certainly be beneficial to the team's efficiency. He's also raring to make his debut against Milan, but in a role where he faces competition from several players, such as Kaba and Berisha. Riccardo Sottil, the other attacking signing, could also be a starter against the Rossoneri. The winger, who arrived on loan from Fiorentina, played a snippet of the match against Genoa; his condition continues to improve, as does his chemistry with his new teammates. It's difficult to draw a hierarchy, considering we're only at the start of the season, but based on the signs so far, the former Viola player could start as early as Friday night at the "Via del Mare." In just a few days, Lecce has revamped its squad with additions from every department, completing the missing pieces of the puzzle. Now, the ball will be in the player's court again.