Tuttomercato reports on the departure of Nikolas Ioannou from Sampdoria to Pafos F.C. Sampdoria has communicated the departure of the Cypriot defender, who leaves after two years to return to his home country. The club states that they have permanently transferred the sporting rights of Nikolas Ioannou to Pafos F.C. In a statement, Pafos F.C. announced that the future is now and Nikolas Ioannou is part of it.

Cypriot and English left-back Nikolas Ioannou, 30, is expected to leave Sampdoria as the club is bringing in Alessandro Di Pardo from Cagliari for the same position. Ioannou, a former Como player who joined Sampdoria in summer 2024, is expected to return to his homeland to join Paphos, a club managed by Italian Cristiano Giaretta. Paphos are contending for their domestic league title and qualification for European competitions. The transfer will end Ioannou's four-and-a-half-year period playing in Italy. Ioannou has 51 caps and 2 goals for Cyprus and has made 18 appearances in Serie B this season, scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist. His contract with Sampdoria is valid until June 2027, and according to Transfermarkt, he has a current market value of €700k.