Demi Akarakiri Set for Serie A Move to Cagliari

Demi Akarakiri is on the brink of swapping Merseyside for Sardinia, with the Everton midfielder closing in on a move to Serie A side Cagliari in search of a faster route to first-team football.

The 18-year-old appeared to confirm his Goodison Park exit with a farewell message on Instagram, thanking Everton as he prepares to take the next step in his career. It marks a swift turn after the club had publicly offered him fresh terms earlier this month.

On June 10, Everton announced that Akarakiri had been handed a new contract proposal, alongside Melvin Matos and Rocco Lambert, as part of their end-of-season academy reshuffle. On the same day, they confirmed that fellow Under-18s players Goodness Gospel-Eze, Louis Poland, Charlie Stewart and Kean Wren would depart when their deals expired at the end of June.

Akarakiri has chosen a different path.

The London-born midfielder, who joined Everton in 2024 after a decade in Arsenal’s academy system, is now closing in on a long-term deal with Cagliari, who finished 14th in Serie A last season under Fabio Pisacane. For a teenager staring at a crowded midfield picture in the Premier League, the appeal is obvious: a clearer, quicker line to senior football.

Reports in Italy underline how seriously Cagliari are taking this move. Sport Witness, citing Corriere dello Sport, reported on Friday that Akarakiri underwent a medical in Rome on Thursday and is expected to sign a five-year contract. For an 18-year-old yet to taste Premier League minutes, that is a striking show of faith.

Inside the club, the move is being framed as a statement of intent. The Italian report describes the signing as “a significant coup” for new sporting director Pietro Accardi, with Cagliari repositioning themselves as a club that identifies young talent early, buys smart, and sells high. Akarakiri fits that blueprint perfectly: technically schooled at Arsenal, polished at Everton, and still years away from his peak.

The ambition around the deal has not been subtle. Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini has openly hinted at the transfer, stressing that a teenager arriving from the Premier League is not coming to Italy just to pad out the youth ranks. The message is clear: Akarakiri is being lined up for an immediate role in the senior matchday squad, not a slow-burning apprenticeship on the fringes.

For Everton, it is another reminder of how quickly promising academy stories can change course. For Cagliari, it could be the beginning of one.