Brazilian-born forward Joao Pedro could be under consideration for representing Italy in the future.
The 29-year-old has been with Cagliari since 2014, but he has never represented Brazil at senior level, and it seems an opportunity to switch allegiances has become a possibility.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Joao Pedro became an Italian citizen in 2019 and that he would be easily integrated into the Azzurri squad by Italy coach Roberto Mancini.
There are fears that a repeat of the Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez situation could occur, when he was in contention to play for Italy, but he had already played for Argentina at a FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
The difference in this scenario is that Joao Pedro already has Italian citizenship, which he had obtained years after marrying an Italian woman, so the issue of him representing Brazil at the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup should not be a deterrent.
Joao Pedro is second on the all-time list for the most Serie A goals for Cagliari with 65 so far but still a long way off the 156 scored by Italian legend Luigi Riva.
