Venezia have completed the signing of Akor Adams from Sevilla, and the move is officially the biggest in the newly promoted club's history. The Nigeria striker put pen to paper on 22 July 2026 in a deal worth around €16-17m guaranteed, with add-ons that could push the final fee up to roughly €22m. Adams has signed a four-year contract keeping him at Venezia until June 2030.
Venezia won promotion back to Serie A last season by finishing top of Serie B with 79 points, and manager Giovanni Stroppa wanted a genuine, physical centre-forward to lead the line at the higher level. Adams fits that profile: he is a right-footed number nine who is comfortable running the channels, holding up play and winning the ball in the air. Stroppa said he was "very happy" with the signing, calling Adams "a really important figure" who can give the team a hand as they prepare for their first Serie A campaign since promotion. The move was made possible by a fresh injection of investment at the club, which allowed Venezia to spend well above what is typical for a promoted side.
For Sevilla, losing Adams means losing their top scorer from a difficult season. He finished as the club's leading marksman in La Liga, and his goals were central to Sevilla surviving in the top flight — they eventually finished 13th, just a point above the relegation zone. The sale was as much about necessity as choice. Sevilla's spending power has collapsed since they dropped out of Europe: La Liga's financial fair play rules tie a club's spending limit to its income, and with Champions League and Europa League money gone, Sevilla's squad-cost ceiling has fallen sharply, forcing them to sell before they can strengthen elsewhere. There is also a straightforward profit: Sevilla paid Montpellier only around €5.5m for Adams in January 2025, so his sale to Venezia represents a big return in eighteen months.
Adams arrives in good form. In his one full season in Spain he scored 10 goals and added three assists in 32 La Liga appearances, a return that also included a perfect record from the penalty spot. He is a reliable aerial threat and a clinical finisher when chances fall to him, qualities that stood out even as Sevilla struggled collectively. He also featured for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations during the season, adding to a heavy workload that he carried without a serious dip in output.
At Venezia, he is expected to be the focal point of the attack from day one. Serie A is a different challenge to La Liga, generally slower in build-up but tougher physically and more disciplined defensively, which should suit a striker who wins duels and finishes the service he is given rather than one who needs to create everything himself. How quickly he adapts, and how well Venezia supply him with crosses and through-balls, will go a long way to deciding whether their record outlay pays off in their first season back among Italy's elite.