Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts

Friday 8 February 2013

Fiorentina to raid Chelsea and Liverpool for £61 million worth of talent?

Italian side Fiorentina have this week been linked with big money moves for Chelsea and Liverpool players. What does this mean for Manchester City and Arsenal target Stefan Jovetic?
Even with the transfer window closed, there has been a surprising amount of speculation still doing the rounds.
Two of the more outlandish stories come from the continent, surrounding Serie A side Fiorentina.
Florence based newspaper La Nazione claimed this week that the club are interested in signing Chelsea's £50 million record signing Fernando Torres.
Torres nowadays would command less than half that fee. His time at Chelsea has not been a success, and he was not included in Vincent del Bosque's Spain squad for last night's friendly win over Uruguay.
Fiorentina have some money to spend after cashing in on Matija Nastastic to Manchester City for £13 million and Valon Behrami to Napoli for £7 million in the summer.
They spent £8 million on Giuseppe Rossi in January and £2 million on Polish starlet Rafal Wolski, and appear keen to add to their squad.
Sixth in Serie A, and four points off third place Lazio, Fiorentina are determined to reach the Champions League next season and upset the two Milan clubs in fourth and fifth along the way.
If they did, then they believe Torres can be convinced to join them. They 'rescued' Alberto Aquilani from his Liverpool nightmare signing him for just £5.5 million, and La Nazione says they hope to follow 'the same operation' to get Torres for a knockdown price.
Will it come off? We have little doubt Torres will be off this summer as Chelsea look to re-invigorate their attack, but a return to Spain would surely be his preference, to enhance his national team prospects along the way.
The second deal Fiorentina have been linked with this week is for Liverpool's Fabio Borini - signed for £11 million in the summer by the Reds.
The Italian forward rejoined Brendan Rodgers who he had worked with at Chelsea and Swansea, but has so far struggled for form, and then suffered a fractured foot which kept him out of action for near to three months.
He was one of the players who featured against Oldham in the FA Cup defeat, and is yet to appear for the Reds since.
Italian journalist Mario Sconteri last night told a radio show that negotiations between Borini and Fiorentina not only already begun, but reached an advanced stage.
He added that the club had even considered trying to bring the Italy under-21 striker back to his country in the winter transfer window.
Borini surely won't want to abandon Liverpool just yet, but if the claim negotiations are ongoing is true then it indicates that he is at least considering an escape route if things don't pick up for him between now and May. He has just one goal for the Reds, and that was in a Europa League qualifier.
So with Fiorentina having already signed Giuseppe Rossi from Villareal, and looking at two more forwards, what does that mean for their prized asset, Stefan Jovetic?
The striker is one of Europe's hottest properties, and while he was linked with Arsenal last month, both Chelsea and Manchester City are in the race and prepared to blow the Gunners out of the water from a financial perspective.
Juventus also want the 23-year-old, but Fiorentina chairman Mario Cognigni was unequivocal this week when he said Jovetic is not for sale, and is happy at the club where he has a contract for three more seasons.
We are sure he is right that Jovetic is happy, but what if Fiorentina miss out on Champions League football this season? We suspect the club are prepared for the inevitable, and this is why they are busy looking at striker targets.
After all, can you imagine Torres signing for Fiorentina to sit on the bench?

Sunday 13 January 2013

Fiorentina confirm interest in signing Frank Lampard from Chelsea

Fiorentina have confirmed they are looking into a deal to sign Chelsea legend Frank Lampard – potentially even before the end of this month.
The 34-year-old England midfielder is on the lookout for a new club for next season, having reportedly been told he will not be offered a contract at Chelsea beyond the end of the current campaign.
MLS sides LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have already confirmed their interest in Lampard, while Serie A clubs Juventus, Lazio and Inter Milan are also believed to be considering bids.
However, Fiorentina appear to have jumped the queue in the race for the midfield maestro, with their president Mario Cognigni admitting the club are looking into doing a deal – and, in discussing the associated ‘cost’, suggesting they are even investigating whether Chelsea or the player would be interested in discussing a move in the next couple of weeks.
‘Lampard is a player I have always liked and may be an example of today’s marketplace,’ Cognigni told Gazzetta dello Sport.
‘A player who has passed 30 years, his contract is expiring, and he may be the right combination between experience and cost of the deal.’
According to the Italian press, La Viola are expected to hold a meeting next week where the prospect of bagging Lampard will be raised, and the club are willing to offer him a two-year-deal.