Transfer Tuesday: Up and down and up and down

Staff

Daniele Pradè may have a new suitor, as Sampdoria have now been listed as a possible landing spot. However, given his coup in re-signing Matías Vecino (full details here) and the advanced nature of the talks with Anderlecht for Dennis Praet (more on that later), it seems he could stick around at Fiorentina, too.

Goalkeepers

Okay, so this is maybe the weirdest thing on here today, so bear with me as I steel myself to write this. Real Madrid (yes, that one) are supposedly interested in buying Neto (yes, that one) from Juventus. I am so very confused.

Okay, back to reality. Mattia Perin's agent is agitating for a move away from Genoa, and has listed Fiorentina as the ideal landing spot, especially since the player should come at a discount now that he's expressly stated his desire to leave. The Viola are also mulling a loan-to-buy move for Simone Scuffet of Udinese, who's on loan at Como in Serie B. A goalkeeper who's unlikely to move to Florence, though, is Atalanta's Marco Sportiello; club director Giovanni Sartori has stated that, if la Dea sell him, it'll be to Napoli.

Defenders

Davide Astori is pleased with both his club and his national teams; seems like a no-brainer to redeem his €3.5 million fee from Cagliari. With the departure of Facundo Roncaglia, he and Gonzalo are likely to have a new colleague next season. The club's first choice, former Empoli centerback Lorenzo Tonelli, was strongly linked to Fiorentina for months, but Napoli have stolen in at the last moment and gotten his signature for €9 million, with the player set for a medical in Naples today.

Of course, Fiorentina have quite a few other targets. River Plate's Emmanuel Mammana, whose move to Napoli may be undermined by the Tonelli purchase, could re-enter the picture. Lisandro López of Benfica is another previous target who's surfaced anew, once again with a €7 million fee attached. Crotone's Gianmarco Ferrari looks likely to head to Genoa after a brief flirtation with the Viola, but Udinese's Danilo looks like the sort of depth signing that could actually happen.

The fullback rumor mill continues to churn as well, with a pair of interesting names popping up in the past week. Crotone's Alex Ferrari was a revelation in Serie B this season leading to interest not only from the Viola, but also from England. Lille's Sébastien Corchia, who was once supposed to be a real world-beater, has also caught Fiorentina's eye, although he claims to not be thinking of the market at all.

Midfielders

The Milan Badelj saga looks set to drag on. His agent recently said that the Croatian international wants to stay in Italy, wants to play for a "big" team, and wants to start, which rather limits his options. He also claimed that he hadn't yet contacted any other clubs, despite previous reports of meetings with Lazio in Rome. Napoli have emerged as a suitor, mostly due to Vecino's recent renewal, and seem unfazed by the Viola's recent valuation of Badelj, which they set at €10 million. Even so, Danny Klaasen of Ajax seems to be the primary target for the Partenopei, leaving Badelj as more of a fallback option.

The list of his possible replacements has, perhaps, shrunk a bit this week with the news that Atalanta's Martin de Roon is refusing to sign a contract extension, with Napoli holding the right of first refusal. Meanwhile, Anderlecht's Samuel Bastien, currently on loan at Avellino, has attracted quite the following across Europe. Fiorentina were thought to be one of his primary suitors, but it seems that Liverpool has moved into pole position for the nippy little playmaker. Almost by default, then, it seems like the Viola brass have reached out to Sassuolo for the veteran Simone Missiroli, who'd be a good depth signing, but probably wouldn't fit into the starting midfield.

In other news, Zenit St. Petersburg have inquired about Federico Bernardeschi, which, just, nah. The player's already said that he's happy in Florence and only thinking of club and country right now, and, frankly, he'd be made to move to Russia with some of the leading lights of England, Spain, and Germany beckoning. His fellow winger Cristian Tello's status is murkier, though, as Fiorentina and Barcelona try to hammer out terms to make a permanent deal as Valencia circles, hoping that negotiations break down.

A move for Dennis Praet seems to be fast approaching. Fiorentina have representatives in Belgium and the talks are progressing nicely. While the Belgians are scrapping for every last cent, DS Herman Van Holsbeeck concedes that, as Fiorentina have already agreed to terms with the 22 year old (€2 million a year, with another €1.5 million available in bonuses), the Italians have the advantage at the bargaining table. While Fiorentina's first offer was rebuffed, the club are preparing a new assault, with €9 million the number everyone expects both sides to settle for. Pescara winger Gianluca Caprari, another promising young attacker touted for a move to Florence, is close to Genoa. Perhaps the most intriguing name, though, belongs to Adem Ljajić. Although it seems like he's been around for an age, he's only 24, and is probably available for a discount, considering that he's only got a year left on his contract and has plummeted down the pecking order at both parent club AS Roma and temporary home Inter Milan.

Forwards

Further forward, the press would have you believe that Fiorentina are in a state of flux. Josip Iličić is reportedly a target for a number of English teams, with Crystal Palace having offered €10 million for him. Fiorentina are wisely holding out for €15 million, as the player has proclaimed his happiness with his current club. Khouma Babacar, meanwhile, has also generated a good deal of buzz in Britain. In a slightly strange reversal, though, Nikola Kalinić says he's happy to stay at Fiorentina, despite previously refusing to commit to the club.

The putative incoming strikers are a motley bunch, frankly. Genoa's Leonardo Pavoletti has been a target for months, if you believe the media, who now claim that the clubs are working on a deal to swap Matías Fernández and cash for the target man. The top alternative appears to be the hulking Graziano Pellè of Southampton, although forgotten man Manolo Gabbiadini could also be an option (on loan), especially if Napoli land Gianluca Lapadula.