Fiorentina to make fresh assault for Valencia man

Fiorentina are set to renew their interest in Valencia midfielder Ever Banega this summer but could face stiff competition from fellow Serie A sides.
Inter, Napoli and Roma have all enquired about the 24-year-old at one time or another although the Viola were interested in taking him during the winter mercato but failed to push a deal through.
The Argentinean has struggled for Los Che of late due to a series of injuries but has still managed an impressive 15 league appearances this season.
Valencia are also reported to be frustrated, according to a Calciomercato report, with the former Boca Juniors man’s lack of consistency and could let him go at the end of this season.
Banega is out of contract at the Mestalla in June 2015 and could be available for Vincenzo Montella’s side to purchase for a deal starting at around €7.5m.

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?

Viviano: "In Turin without fear" before the Juventus game

A few days from Juventus-Fiorentina speaks Emiliano Viviano, who found the jersey holder just in time for the challenge greater. The goalkeeper infringes was interviewed by Mediaset and returned even on difficult days of January and the assumption of a farewell: "Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to play all the time and when I ended up on the bench I made my comments. Then I realized that the estimate of the coach was always the same, there have never been any problems between us, and I expect to have another chance. After all that I had to come to Florence seemed right to continue. At times I have heard some criticism too, someone said that I played with Fiorentina just because I was a fan purple, as if it were a favor, and this did not bother me.

The crisis of January? If we look at the performance I do not think we ever deserved to lose, it was right to continue with the same mentality and the same game and we were able to recover. The love of the curve? I am proud to represent the Fiorentina fans, I know that many would like to be in my place and sometimes they are a bit 'in trouble for this. Juve? Every game is a story in itself, we have demonstrated the first leg to be able to keep up with Juventus. They are very strong and we respect that, but we're going there to play it and try to get a result, in football anything can happen. Buffon better? Yes, absolutely, there are none like him. "

Best signing
Even neutrals were happy to see Giuseppe Rossi make his return to Serie A and give the League back a little of its lustre. The deal confirmed the good relations between the Viola and Villarreal and grabbed the early headlines in the transfer window. Still recovering from serious injury, he won’t be seen until the end of this season or the beginning of next but he remains a major coup for the Florentines. With goalscoring a problem, they are itching to get him back soon.
Why did they sign him?
There were a few eyebrows raised when the Tuscans moved to bring in Marcelo Larrondo from near neighbours Siena. His reputation in Italy is not particularly high, but he was seen more as a squad-builder for Vincenzo Montella rather than a regular starter. With Mounir El Hamdaoui seeming to be better coming off the bench and Luca Toni in his twilight years, another attacking option was high on the shopping list. Those who have seen him train swear he has major breakout potential.
Why did they sell him?
When he arrived at the club Mattia Cassani was rated one of the top right-backs in Italy and a great signing for Fiorentina. Unfortunately, he joined a team low on confidence and in a real slump and could not help turn things around. This season’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation has seen the more adventurous Juan Cuadrado favoured on the flank and left the ex-Palermo man surplus to requirements. His farewell message to the fans was a classy act from a model professional.
Most crazy rumour
The talk that Frank Lampard might fancy life on the banks of the Arno was one of the more absurd tales of the window. He may well be at the end of the line with Chelsea but it would have taken a huge wage cut to see him end up in purple. And yet the jungle drums had him eyeing a future in Firenze, with one website even duped into printing a picture which purported to show him in the Renaissance City. Still, the fact that there was even a link boosted the club’s profile.
No regrets
Rubén Olivera arrived in the last January transfer window to little acclaim and with a suspension still to serve. Once he was actually cleared to play he proceeded to pick up another ban and contributed little to the cause. When he did feature, his input seemed to consist mainly of fouling opponents rather than creating anything for the team. A deal with that home for ex-Florentines, Genoa, was gratefully accepted by player and club.
The obligatory ex-Juve man
For all that direct relations have soured once more between Fiorentina and Juventus after the Dimitar Berbatov affair, the Viola seem to still have a fascination with the black and white colours. How else to explain a late loan move for Momo Sissoko? He does not really seem to fit with the style they have favoured this season. But he brings qualities the squad definitely lacked and may yet prove the doubters wrong – after having his ‘Hunchback’ removed.
The big question
How will the new boys to Italy adapt to Serie A? Daniele Pradè and Eduardo Macía have scoured the globe to find players. Marvin Compper had fallen out with Hoffenheim, Rafal Wolski is a talent but on his way back from injury and Matías Vecino an exciting gamble. If even one of them settles in well it could be a real boon to the club. If all three prove a hit, it will be a bit of a miracle.
Verdict
If January had only brought Giuseppe Rossi it would have still been a good transfer window at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Few other sides managed a signing of such stature to boost their ranks, even if he will have to fight back to full fitness. That might be the one criticism of the acquisition policy in the shade of the Fiesole hills – most of their purchases look like players for the future, not for the battle in the shorter term. That could yet mean European football disappears over the horizon for another year.

Viviano: Staying at Fiorentina was the right decision

Emiliano Viviano has revealed his happiness at staying at Fiorentina despite being out of the team and being linked with moves away, after he regained the first-team spot last weekend.
The former Inter goalkeeper was dropped earlier in the campaign through injury and then struggled to take his place back from Norberto Neto but the diehard Viola fan is glad he remained.
He told SportMediaset: “During my career I have always been used to playing without ever being on the bench so it is normal that I was missing being out on the field.
“Obviously I made my comments but the club then made me realise that staying was the right decision.”
The player, whose contract is 50% owned by Palermo, also denied any rumours of a conflict with boss Vincenzo Montella.
“I have never had any problem with the coach and after all the history that I have with Florence it seemed only right that I would continue and some of the comments I have made are only because I am bothered when a game does not go in our favour.”

Rossi a gamble too far?

“It is not just a moment of joy for our fans, but a gift we wrapped up for all of Italian football,” Fiorentina President Andrea Della Valle told reporters last week. “We are happy to have brought a great talent like Giuseppe Rossi back to Italy.”
The return of the 25-year-old to Serie A has been greeted with great fanfare by supporters of the Viola and neutrals alike. The Azzurri international is undoubtedly one of the best, most promising strikers in Europe, and his signing for the Tuscan side shows the heights that they have reached this season.
Under Vincenzo Montella’s stewardship and the left-field transfer dealings of sporting director Daniele Pradè, the Stadio Artemio Franchi side have become one of the most refreshing teams on the peninsula – capable of genuinely challenging for a top three spot. Their attacking, free-flowing football will certainly play into the hands of the former Manchester United man, with the prospect of a Rossi-Stevan Jovetic strike partnership already whetting the whistles of many.
As the New Jersey-born forward has explained, it’s that brand of play that enticed him to Tuscany. “I would have made this move sooner, even last summer,” he stated at his presentation. “I’m happy to be at Fiorentina. They are the only side who came forward with facts and not just with words. That was very important to me.
“I like the Viola project a lot. I want to be a part of it. There are many youngsters here, but also players of experience. And we all know that Fiorentina are playing the best football in Italy. I can’t wait to start playing alongside Jovetic and Luca Toni, great players.”
The Parma youth product may be saying all the right words in public, but for fans and administrators at the club there is still a huge elephant in the room.
€12m may look like a bargain for a striker who seems to have it all – pace, intelligent movement, vision and a calm serenity in front of goal. But the last time anyone saw those qualities in action was October 2011. Two knee ligament injuries in the space of 18 months have completely curtailed his career, so much so that it was unclear at one point whether Rossi would ever return.
Of course, players all over the world have made a comeback from this notorious injury – Michael Essien, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Shearer have all returned from cruciate tears to re-commence their careers. However, injuring the same ligament in the same knee twice in such a short space of time is of huge concern. And as he explains, there is still no real target as to when he will step back on to a pitch. “I don’t have a particular date in mind for my return,” he said. “My knee is stable right now, but it needs strengthening and it can’t be rushed. I hope to get back to full fitness as soon as possible so that I can play for the Viola fans. Things are going well.”
Reports claim that the end of March could be a realistic date for his debut, but it would be churlish and frankly empty-headed to suggest that Rossi can immediately come in and make a difference to the Gigliati’s season.
A more accurate representation of his value to the side can really only be gleaned next season, where we will see if all the hours of rehabilitation and gym work have paid off.
There is absolutely no questioning Rossi’s quality as a striker – 82 goals in 192 matches for Villarreal shows he can do it. But the question remains, is €12m is too big a gamble for a man who hasn’t played any football for a year and a half?
If there was any place more apt to resurrect your career, the Renaissance city of Florence is it.

SERIE A TOP SCORERS 2012-13

18 - Cavani E. (Napoli),
15 - El Shaarawy S. (Milan),
14 - Di Natale A. (Udinese),
11 - Osvaldo P. (Roma),
10 - Gilardino A. (Bologna), Klose M. (Lazio), Lamela E. (Roma), Pazzini G. (Milan),
9 - Hamsik M. (Napoli), Jovetic S. (Fiorentina),
8 - Denis G. (Atalanta), Hernanes A. (Lazio), Milito D. (Inter), Sau M. (Cagliari), Totti F. (Roma),
7 - Belfodil I. (Parma), Bergessio G. (Catania), Bianchi R. (Torino), Borriello M. (Genoa), Icardi M. (Sampdoria), Palacio R. (Inter), Paloschi A. (Chievo), Quagliarella F. (Juventus), Toni L. (Fiorentina),
6 - Cassano A. (Inter), Diamanti A. (Bologna), Giovinco S. (Juventus),
5 - Amauri C. (Parma), Gabbiadini M. (Bologna), Gomez A. (Catania), Ilicic J. (Palermo), Immobile C. (Genoa), Matri A. (Juventus), Miccoli F. (Palermo), Pirlo A. (Juventus), Rodriguez G. (Fiorentina), Vidal A. (Juventus), Vucinic M. (Juventus),
4 - Aquilani A. (Fiorentina), Barrientos P. (Catania), Bonaventura G. (Atalanta), Calaio' E. (Siena), Candreva A. (Lazio), Castro L. (Catania), Destro M. (Roma), Guarin F. (Inter), Inler G. (Napoli), Insigne L. (Napoli), Kone P. (Bologna), Lodi F. (Catania), Maggio C. (Napoli), Marchisio C. (Juventus), Muriel L. (Udinese), Pellissier S. (Chievo), Pogba P. (Juventus), Sansone N. (Parma), Thereau C. (Chievo), Weiss V. (Pescara),
3 - Angella G. (Udinese), Bertolacci A. (Genoa), Bojan P. (Milan), Cambiasso E. (Inter), Celik M. (Pescara), Cerci A. (Torino), Dybala P. (Palermo), Eder C. (Sampdoria), El Hamdaoui M. (Fiorentina), Floccari S. (Lazio), Florenzi A. (Roma), Jankovic B. (Genoa), Lichtsteiner S. (Juventus), Maresca E. (Sampdoria), Mauri S. (Lazio), Maxi Lopez G. (Sampdoria), Nene' A. (Cagliari), Reginaldo F. (Siena), Roncaglia F. (Fiorentina), Valdes J. (Parma),
2 - Abbruscato E. (Pescara), Almiron S. (Catania), Andreolli M. (Chievo), Arevalo Rios E. (Palermo), Asamoah K. (Juventus), Balotelli M. (Milan), Bogdani E. (Siena), Brighi M. (Torino), Carmona C. (Atalanta), Cigarini L. (Atalanta), D'ambrosio D. (Torino), Danilo L. (Udinese), Dessena D. (Cagliari), Gazzi A. (Torino), Giorgi L. (Palermo), Kucka J. (Genoa), Legrottaglie N. (Catania), Maicosuel R. (Udinese), Marquinho M. (Roma), Meggiorini R. (Torino), Montolivo R. (Milan), Munari G. (Sampdoria), Nainggolan R. (Cagliari), Nocerino A. (Milan), Paci M. (Siena), Pandev G. (Napoli), Paolucci M. (Siena), Parolo M. (Parma), Pereyra R. (Udinese), Pinilla M. (Cagliari), Pinzi G. (Udinese), Pjanic M. (Roma), Poli A. (Sampdoria), Ribeiro T. (Cagliari), Rigoni M. (Genoa), Robinho R. (Milan), Rosi A. (Parma), Rosina A. (Siena), Santana M. (Torino), Savic S. (Fiorentina), Stoian A. (Chievo), Terlizzi C. (Pescara), Valiani F. (Siena), Vergassola S. (Siena),
1 - Basha M. (Torino), Basta D. (Udinese), Biabiany J. (Parma), Biava G. (Lazio), Birsa V. (Torino), Bjarnason B. (Pescara), Boateng K. (Milan), Borja Valero I. (Fiorentina), Bradley M. (Roma), Brienza F. (Palermo), Budan I. (Palermo), Burdisso N. (Roma), Caceres J. (Juventus), Cannavaro P. (Napoli), Caprari G. (Pescara), Casarini F. (Cagliari), Cascione E. (Pescara), Castan L. (Roma), Cherubin N. (Bologna), Chivu C. (Inter), Cofie I. (Chievo), Conti D. (Cagliari), Costa A. (Sampdoria), Coutinho P. (Inter), Cruzado R. (Chievo), Cuadrado J. (Fiorentina), D'agostino G. (Pescara), De Jong N. (Milan), De Luca G. (Atalanta), Di Michele D. (Chievo), Domizzi M. (Udinese), Dzemaili B. (Napoli), Ederson H. (Lazio), Ekdal A. (Cagliari), Emanuelson U. (Milan), Emeghara I. (Siena), Estigarribia M. (Sampdoria), Galloppa D. (Parma), Gamberini A. (Napoli), Gastaldello D. (Sampdoria), Giaccherini E. (Juventus), Glik K. (Torino), Gonzalez A. (Lazio), Granqvist A. (Genoa), Guarente T. (Bologna), Jonathas C. (Pescara), Konko A. (Lazio), Krsticic N. (Sampdoria), Lazzari A. (Udinese), Ledesma C. (Lazio), Ljajic A. (Fiorentina), Lopez N. (Roma), Lucarelli A. (Parma), Luciano S. (Chievo), Marchese G. (Catania), Marchionni M. (Parma), Merkel A. (Genoa), Mesto G. (Napoli), Migliaccio G. (Fiorentina), Moralez M. (Atalanta), Nelson A. (Palermo), Neto L. (Siena), Obiang P. (Sampdoria), Paglialunga M. (Catania), Palladino R. (Parma), Pasqual M. (Fiorentina), Pasquale G. (Udinese), Pasquato C. (Bologna), Peluso F. (Atalanta), Pereira A. (Inter), Perrotta S. (Roma), Pisano E. (Genoa), Pisano F. (Cagliari), Pizarro D. (Fiorentina), Portanova D. (Bologna), Pozzi N. (Sampdoria), Quintero J. (Pescara), Raimondi C. (Atalanta), Ranegie M. (Udinese), Ranocchia A. (Inter), Romulo O. (Fiorentina), Samuel W. (Inter), Sansone G. (Torino), Sayd A. (Genoa), Sestu A. (Siena), Sgrigna A. (Torino), Sneijder W. (Inter), Sorensen F. (Bologna), Spolli N. (Catania), Stendardo G. (Atalanta), Stevanovic A. (Torino), Tachtsidis P. (Roma), Taider S. (Bologna), Togni R. (Pescara), Vukusic A. (Pescara), Zaccardo C. (Parma), Ze' Eduardo J. (Siena)