Fiorentina missed their objective of reaching the Champions League, finishing the season in fourth place for the third consecutive year.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride? Vincenzo Montella has led Fiorentina to three consecutive fourth place finishes and la viola had to settle for Europe League play once again. The last time Fiorentina was in Champions League was back in 2009. They reached the semi-finals of Europa League last season, losing to eventual winners Sevilla.
Considering some of the injuries Montella had to deal with, particularly with Giuseppe Rossi out for the season, finishing in fourth place was quite an accomplishment. Yet surprisingly, Montella was sacked by the club citing a “lack of trust” and “difference of opinion” regarding a clause in his contract which Montella no longer wants to abide by. Rumour has it that it is due to increased financial compensation that Montella feels he is entitled to. The club on the other hand felt a contract is a contract, so he was let go.
Montella has been replaced by 44 year-old Portuguese manager Paulo Sousa, who managed Basel last season. He plans on continuing the legacy left by Montella, playing an entertaining style of football.
What changes will Sousa request for his roster, working in conjunction with sporting director Daniele Pradè? Who will stay and who will go? We focus on Fiorentina’s top priorities this summer.
Mohamed Salah
The Messi of Egypt played an admirable role upon his arrival (on loan) from Chelsea in February. His inspired play filled the void left by the departed Cuadrado. There is an option to renew the loan, with some conditions, one of which is a salary increase requested by the player. Negotiations are taking place as we speak. Fiorentina can pursue this option, or alternatively, be more aggressive and buy his rights outright from Chelsea. Such a bold move will send a strong message to both Salah and the fans about Fiorentina’s commitment to the player, and entice his agent to sign a long term contract.
Neto
The Brazilian goalkeeper has decided to part ways with Fiorentina and head to Juventus (still waiting on this to become official). This will be a different experience for Neto. He will go from being the number one starter playing every game to backing up arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, Gigi Buffon.
Although Fiorentina have two experienced backup goalkeepers in Ciprian Tatarusanu and Antonio Rosati, they will need to acquire a true number one starter.
Ironically, one potential candidate for this position is Buffon’s backup Marco Storari, who will most likely leave Juventus to pursue a starting role elsewhere. Other than Storari, there are several goalkeepers Fiorentina can pursue that are available on the market.
Gilardino and Diamanti
The Italian duo joined Fiorentina during the January transfer window from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, providing some veteran leadership but little else. Their impact was negligible and given their anticipated salary demands, it is highly unlikely their services will be retained under new coach Sousa.
Fiorentina would be better off investing some of that money on younger players, rather than these overpriced veterans.
Aquilani, Pizzaro and Vargas
The three midfielders all have expiring contracts and it would be prudent if Fiorentina retains their services for the right price. Ideally each of them should be resigned for one year, but Aquilani will not settle for this so he will be the most likely to leave of the three.
The trio, along with Borja Valero, provided stability in the midfield for Fiorentina and will be costly to replace via acquisitions.
Remaining contracts
The remaining players with expiring contracts should be let go to reduce the payroll, namely Lupatelli, Lazzari, El Hamdaoui, Octavio and Rosi. The scouting staff should find better and cheaper replacements.
Those under contract do not hold much market value and there will be little interest to be acquired by other teams, therefore no potential revenues in that respect for Fiorentina. These players will likely remain with the club for the upcoming season.
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