Stiven Shpendi is a 23-year-old Albanian and Italian centre-forward who scored 15 goals in 35 appearances for Empoli this season and previously played at Carrarese under Calabro. He is very close to signing with Padova, and it is reported that the transfer operation is in its final stages. Shpendi, who has also been linked with Cagliari, is under contract with Empoli until June 2029. He has a current market value of €3.8 million, according to Transfermarkt. He has earned 14 caps and scored 5 goals for the Albania U21 national team. Empoli acquired him from Cesena in July 2025 for a fee reported to be €2.2 million.