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.