Fiorentina close to taking Baselli from Atalanta with loan formula

It's finally happening. Daniele Baselli, who has been linked to Fiorentina for the past several transfer windows, is soon to arrive. Fiorentina.it report that Atalanta have resigned themselves to losing him and that the player has already agreed terms with la Viola.

The formula for the deal is reportedly a one year loan with a subsequent 7 million Euro redemption clause next season. The only hold up seems to be on Atalanta's end, as they try to decide which Fiorentina player will go the other way on loan, with Nenad Tomovic and Luca Bittante two players that Atalanta might be interested in. La Dea is, however, holding out for a little bit longer, as sporting director Giovanni Sartori claims that his club is still looking at other offers. Baselli was thought to be en route to Milan last week, but after their recent spending spree, they no longer require his services.

For a Fiorentina team unexpectedly short on midfielders suited to Paulo Sousa's presumed system, Baselli could be an excellent solution. Despite his tender years, he's not afraid to dig in and do the dirty work (2.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per ninety minutes), although he's prone to fouling a little too much. He's a reliable passer, if not an inventive one, although he is a bit prone to losing the ball, either by over-dribbling or through poor passes. He's got a decent shot from distance, as well.

While Baselli probably won't be ready for a full-time role this season (only fifteen starts for Atalanta last season, with seven appearances off the bench), he seems like the sort of mobile, physical midfielder Fiorentina has lacked since the departure of Valon Behrami, who has also been tenuously linked to Fiorentina in recent weeks.