Sampdoria proposed a swap deal to Cesena for Cristian Shpendi, a 23-year-old Albanian attacker, that would have included Gennaro Tutino as part of the exchange. The negotiation did not proceed because it was initiated during the final hours of the transfer window, which left insufficient time to finalize it. Shpendi had also received multiple bids from Cremonese. Following the failed transfer, Cesena is reportedly planning to extend the player's contract. Shpendi has three caps for Albania, and his current Transfermarkt market value is €4.50m. A fee of €4 million was reportedly agreed upon for a transfer to Cremonese in August 2026, while during the same period Cesena's asking price was cited as €3.5 million.