You are incorrect on this
In Italy - its some weird Italian thing - the player signs their *full* contract with the club they are being loaned by. It's some fucking weirdass thing which doesnt exist in, as far as I know, ANY other footballing nation.
The question has come up before about 'can a player refuse their loan option being exercised', and the answer is no. They've *already* signed the long term contract with the club.
That contract is only 'enacted', of course, if they actually join in full.
Esposito has no power in this. His only option would have been to negotiate, either in his contract, or the loan agreement, a termination option on the basis of relegation (For example) which may well have happened.
I'll try to find a source, but there was some scenario a while ago where a player didnt really want to go to the club they'd signed for on loan, permanently, and it was made clear there was no legal basis for refusal.
Here's an example - Kyle Walker:
3M likes, 5,328 comments - fabriziorom on January 22, 2025: "🚨 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎! AC Milan agree deal to sign Kyle Walker from Manchester City 🔴⚫️🏴 Loan move with buy option clause not mandatory as salary will be covered by AC Milan, contract agreed. Walker will committ to contract valid until...
www.instagram.com
He's on a contract till 2027, if Milan choose to trigger the option.
(This is, as I understand it, only in the case of a right/obligation to purchase the player, loans without options/obligations dont have that)
Or, let me put it another way, name one time a loan + option player had it triggered that the player then refused to honour the contract? Literally never
On a bit further research, it might not just be an Italy thing, but I know for sure in Italy it is a thing.
e.g. an answer from a professional here:
Answer (1 of 3): It depends very much on the agent, the money involved and the player’s standing in the game. Someone at the top, proven at an elite level, able to command huge wages due to both hiswrlwting and sporting value…Ronaldo…was able to choose Juventus. Pretty much any team would have t...
www.quora.com
Infact, the more I read, the more I think its 100% standard across the board.
📜⚽ Loan of Professionals Explained🚨💼 ⚽ What is a Loan in Football? 🌍📄 A professional player can be loaned by their current club (the “former club” 🏟️) to another club (the “new club” 🏟️) for a predetermined period under a written agreement ✍️. Here are the rules governing loans: 1️⃣ Written...
www.linkedin.com
A player can not refuse an option being exercised, unless there's a clause that gets them out of jail.