All Whites full-back Libby Cacace could enter another footballing stratosphere with his move to Italian club Empoli.

The Serie A side confirmed on Tuesday that Cacace will join them from Belgian outfit Sint Truidense VV,
with the agreement reached at the end of the European transfer window.

Although initially on loan, it is set to become a permanent deal in June, with a fee of up to €3m (NZ$5.19m) for the 21-year-old.

It’s a huge challenge but also a huge opportunity for Cacace.

If there was a considerable adjustment when he moved from Wellington Phoenix to the Belgian top tier in August 2020, it will be a whole new level, in terms of pressure, focus, intensity and quality of play.

Serie A is ranked the third best league in Europe (behind the English Premier League and La Liga), with six clubs in the UEFA top 30 and on most measures Empoli is three or four times bigger than Sint Truidense.

The Belgian club currently have one player with an estimated market value of over NZ$5m, while Empoli have at least 11 who fall into this category.

They include 22-year-old Italian striker Andrea Pinamonti, who has attracted a total transfer fee of over €40m during his career and fellow countryman Patrick Cutrone, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who moved from AC Milan to Wolves for 18 million euros in June. 2019.

There is a risk for Cacace in the move, joining a much deeper team, as playing time is crucial at this stage of his career, but it could be a great choice.

Empoli are one of the most successful development clubs in Serie A, along with Bologna, Cagliari and Verona. This is a key part of their strategy as they are unable to compete financially with the mega teams of Roma, Turin, Milan and Napoli.

It’s understood that Empoli have been following Cacace since 2019 and they will provide the right environment for him to develop.

The move was planned for the end of this season but has been brought forward, possibly due to two other left-backs currently out injured and concerns over depth in that position.

Empoli represents a small town (48,000 inhabitants) southwest of Florence and has had five promotions to Serie A and four relegations to Serie B this century. Notable former players include Italy internationals Antonio Di Natale, Vincenzo Montella and Luca Toni.

Getting a chance in Serie A has long been Cacace’s dream, along with Italian father Antonio and Italian-born Kiwi mother Luisa. He has visited the European nation many times on family trips and can understand and speak the language.

“You have goals for the future, but you take things day by day,” Cacace told the Herald earlier this year when asked about his Italian ambitions. “The market is very unpredictable at the moment and Covid has really shaken things up. My goal is to perform at the Olympics and for my club and anything can happen.”

If Cacace’s move becomes permanent, there will also be a huge windfall for the Phoenix, due to the sell clause in the deal that brought Cacace to Belgium.

It is understood that the Wellington club will be entitled to around 10% of their final transfer fee.

“It’s in that vicinity, but obviously it’s commercially sensitive,” Phoenix general manager David Dome said. “But we are delighted for Libby and his family. Libby was a class player with us but seeing him move from Belgium to Serie A is really exciting.

“He always wanted to work hard, he was so dedicated and never caused a shred of trouble as a true professional. What a great opportunity for a youngster from Wellington.”

No New Zealander has played in Serie A. Fellow All White Matt Garbett is registered with Turin but is currently part of the Under-19 squad. At Empoli, Cacace will train with the first team from the start.

Empoli, who are 12th of 20 Serie A sides, face Bologna on Monday before hosting Cagliari the following week.