Transfer Tuesday: Rumor roundup

The last couple of weeks may well have persuaded the Della Valles to spend some filthy, filthy lucre this January. Fortunately, we have no shortage of rumors, big and small, to get us through the intervening months. Some of them make sense. Some are as crazy as Artur Boruc. Most are baseless speculation, in which we here at Viola Nation joyfully partake. Join us in combing through them and sorting out which are which.

Mario Suarez

Let's kick this one off with a player who's already with Fiorentina. Mario Suárez hasn't really gelled with la Viola. Dropped in favor of superior passers Milan Badelj and Matías Vecino, he's not apparently satisfied with occasional Europa League match and wants out of Italy. Amid rumors of a rift with Paulo Sousa, Liverpool is reportedly mulling a January bid; the Spaniard certainly fits the archetypal destroyer role that Jurgen Klopp seems to prefer in front of the defense.

Walace

Yeah, we've been over this one. We've even profiled the player previously. Repeatedly. And now, we're thrilled to announce that there's still no new news. Fiorentina and Gremio continue to talk with the defensive midfielder's agent and ownership group about a move. They will do so forever. Everything is forever. Time is an illusion.

Lisandro Lopez

See above. Also see here for previous coverage. The Argentinean central defender's fate remains up in the air, although sources agree that Fiorentina and Benfica are totally talking about a move.

Jason Denyer

The young Manchester City defender, currently on loan to Galatasaray, is apparently a Fiorentina target. Or was a Fiorentina target. Or wasn't. And/or isn't. Whatever. What we do know for sure is that he's a young Manchester City defender on loan at Galatasaray, and that he's got a great name for a defender.

Falcao

Here we enter into the territory of Duchampian absurdity, as we learn that this is a thing now. Fiorentina, with Nikola Kalinic, Giuseppe Rossi, Josip Iličić, Khouma Babacar, and Federico Bernardeschi all on the roster, are clearly lacking in the striker department, and thus desperately require the services a comically out-of-form, injury-stricken luxury player who was once a lethal finisher and now routinely does things like this.

Mounir El Hamdaoui

The former Fiorentina striker has finally latched on with a new team, signing with AZ Alkmaar for the second time and returning to the Eredivisie. Not sure how happy AZ are, considering that El Ham has made himself unwelcome at so many clubs--Ajax, Fiorentina, and Malaga--who got so sick of his shenanigans that they froze him out of the team, but he can probably be counted on to do something like this about once a season.

Juan Cuadrado

Continuing on with Chelsea-related news, Juventus are trying to make Juan Guillermo Cuadrado's loan move permanent. The Colombian winger, sold to Chelsea for about 32 million euros, has done well with the Juvenuts, who are willing to pay 16 million for his services. The Blues, however, reportedly want to recoup their entire investment. Maybe, just maybe, the two clubs will get so huffy about the whole thing that Chelsea will sell him back to Fiorentina for 16 million out of spite. Please?

Cesare Prandelli

We'll wrap it up with a rumor about San Cesare returning to Serie A. After an unsuccessful stretch in Turkey with Galatasaray, the former Fiorentina mister is back in Italy and considering his options, which include taking over at Bologna, where he'd rejoin his old partner in crime Pantaleo Corvino. While Prandelli has remained elusive in his answers, I'm really not sure how I feel about him going to another Serie A team, because I'll never be able to root against him.

Well, that's it for the rumors we've managed to sniff out. Heard any other whispers? Leo Messi to ride into Florence on a unicorn? Ruben Olivera making a surprise return to Fiorentina? Let us know in the comments.