Transfer Tuesday: Old stuff and new stuff

Staff

The Corrierre dello Sport claims that Pantaleo Corvino has a €35 million budget to work with this summer. We're also hearing that the Fiorentina board have officially offered Martin Jørgensen the role of head of northern European (read: Scandinavian) scouting and UEFA goodwill ambassador, which it's widely expected he will accept.

Goalkeepers

Following a spectacularly bad performance for Romania at the Euros, various sources have reported that Ciprian Tătăruşanu is on his way out, claiming that Fiorentina will listen to offers in the €5 million range. However, the club has since stated that they're happy with him, although there's a chance that newcomer Bartłomiej Drągowski will unseat him as the starter. The Polish keeper's arrival means that Luca Lezzerini is now expected to leave on loan, with Giacomo Satalino expected to return to duty with the Primavera, where he'll split time with Artem Makarov.

You'd think that, with all goalies already in Florence, that the club would be struck from the potential destination list for keepers on the move. You'd be wrong. Fiorentina are supposedly planning to bring in Udinese youngster Simone Scuffet, whom the Friuli outfit have valued at €10 million, although it'd just be a loan deal. And, if Tătăruşanu does leave, the Viola are scoping out Diego López, Michael Agazzi, Sergio Romero, and Francesco Bardi (of AC Milan, Milan again, Manchester United, and Internazionale, respectively) as replacements. Noticeably absent from that list is PSG's Salvatore Sirigu, whom the Viola brass have decided isn't worth the trouble. Even though he wants to return to Italy, and would be willing to do so on a reduced salary, his agent Giovanni Branchini was responsible for Riccardo Montolivo's rather tasteless exit from Florence, and the club has decided to have nothing to do with him or his clients.

Defenders

Torino have identified Nenad Tomović as their Kamil Glick replacement, and have offered €4 million for the Serbian international. Fiorentina have countered with a request for €5 million plus permission to open talks with Davide Zappacosta, which request the Turin outfit has taken under consideration. Facundo Roncaglia, meanwhile, continues to be strongly linked to a Lazio move; his agent has confirmed Marcelo Bielsa's interest, but Celta Vigo are also angling for a move. Finally, Salernitana have entered talks with Corvino to bring Ricardo Bagadur back for another Serie B campaign; given how well he performed there last spring, it's likely that the move will be confirmed.

It's been an interesting week for centerbacks who're supposedly linked to Fiorentina, as a lot of new names have poppoed up. The most interesting is Ajax's Joël Veltman, who's a 24 year old Dutch international who can also play at rightback. €8 million seems like a fairly reasonable amount for him, and the Viola interest has been reported by several Italian outlets. Serdar Tasci, the Turkish-born Zenit centerback who spent last season with Bayern Munich, is another player who should be available, and maybe for even less; the Corrierre Fiorentina thinks Corvino is working on a deal right now. Other options are Palermo defender Edoardo Goldaniga and Bologna man Marios Oikonomou. No longer in the running, it seems, are Inter's Andrea Ranocchia (nearing a deal with Sassuolo) and Benfica's Lisandro López, who's on the verge of re-signing with the Lisbon club.

Well, so much for Cristian Ansaldi. The Genoa fullback has agreed to terms with Inter, sending Fiorentina back to square one. Ansaldi's arrival may push Davide Santon out, but it sounds like Sampdoria are in pole position for his services, with Fiorentina trailing behind, along with Sassuolo and Bologna. Cagliari, meanwhile, are working on a deal for former (and maybe future) Viola rightback Cristiano Piccini, although Real Betis have previosuly vowed to hang onto him, which may make this a moot point anyways. The only remotely positive news is that Olympiakos have set a price to Norwegian international rightback Omar Elabdellaoui. The downside, of course, is that it's €7 million, which is a fair amount of money. And Fiorentina and Torino are wrangling about Davide Zappacosta, but there's no real concrete news. And, if you were wondering, Salernitana want Lorenzo Venuti on loan next year, which could unite him with fellow Viola prospect Bagadur.

Midfielders

The Milan Badelj saga continues, as his agent claims that AS Roma are interested and assures anyone who's listening that his client won't sign a renewal. Even so, he's meeting with Pantaleo Corvino this week for a chat. Matías Fernández is still a Torino target, but his injury and the Viola interest in Zappacosta have complicated matters. Panagiotis Kone, who was earlier tapped for a loan renewal, is now instead expected to return to Greece with Panathinaikos. Poor Matías Vecino, meanwhile, continues to tell the press that he wants to stay in Florence, and he may be slowly convincing them, thank heavens. And, in a real twist, it sounds like Leonardo Capezzi may be headed back to Crotone on loan. The kicker, though, is that the Pitagorici want an option to buy him outright, which Fiorentina are considering, albeit with a buyback clause. Quite a turn of events for a player who just a month ago was considered the future of the Viola midfield.

The shiniest new name tied to a Fiorentina arrival is that of Nuri Şahin. Corvino has been tracking the Borussia Dortmund regista for years and considers him the top Badelj replacement. Rated around €7 million, he could be had for less, as he's been frozen out of the BVB squad and his contract comes up soon. Galatasaray have already made an offer, which includes a €3 million salary, but the player is said to be intrigued by playing in Italy, although the Viola will probably only make an offer if Badelj bolts.

The other new name is Atlético Paranaense's Hernani. A classic midfield destroyer, various sources have linked him to Florence, although Inter has also popped up as a possible suitor. The agent of Diego Laxalt, who just joined Genoa, has confirmed that he's held talks with Fiorentina, who lead the race for the Uruguayan, although Sunderland are pressing for him as well. The Viola have joined Pescara, Empoli, and Sassuolo in the Valerio Verre sweepstakes (the playmaker just returned to Udinese after a year with the Delfini), but have moved on from Feyenoord's Tonny Vilhena, who just signed a contract extension and has stated his intent to stay with the Rotterdam club. Riccardo Bigon, president of Bologna, is trying to stymie interest in star man Amadou Diawara, claiming that the midfielder isn't for sale despite previous statements indicating that he was. And finally, Napoli misfit Mirko Valdifiori is still clamoring for someone to come take him away from all this; if he keeps it up, he could be had for a song.

Fiorentina and Barcelona are inching towards a resolution for Cristian Tello, generally expected to be a full year on loan and a redemption fee of around €7 million. If it all falls through, though, several British clubs are reported to be circling. Meanwhile, La Nazione claims that Fiorentina have set a €25 million price on Federico Bernardeschi (who may well start in Italy's match against Ireland), which, frankly, seems awfully low, especially as the regulations on homegrown players will make him even more valuable to Corvino and company. Youngster Nicola Fazzi has a whole host of admirers in Serie B who want him next year, with Crotone, Avellino, Perugia, and Novara leading the pack, even as Corvino works on extending the starlet. Argentinean winger Diego Peralta, though, looks certain to spend next year back at Pisa, giving him a chance to prove his mettle in Serie B as well. Former future star Rafał Wolski also looks set to spend next year away, as Legia Gdansk have agreed to keep him in Poland for another season.

The ballad of Emanuele Giaccherini won't die, as the Sunderland-owned Bologna winger refuses to make a commitment. Fiorentina have offered him a 3 year contract with an unknown salary, but his agent has claimed that Chelsea would be his dream job and floated Napoli as a possible destination as well. Fiorentina are meeting with Sunderland, who've demanded €4 million for him, but it sounds like Bologna want to keep him now, and Torino are trying to butt in too. That latter piece is quite surprising, as il Toro have agreed to terms with Roma for Adem Ljajić, as per new manager Siniša Mihajlović's request. All that remains is for the little Serb to sign a contract extension with the Lupi that will facilitate the sale. However, Anderlecht star Dennis Praet's move to Sevilla may have broken down, putting Fiorentina back on alert. And finally, Roma winger Federico Ricci has turned down a second consecutive loan move to Crotone, which has put Palermo on high alert while the Viola watch from a distance.

Forwards

Khouma Babacar can't shake the rumors that he's heading for the exit, with Crystal Palace, Watford, Udinese, and Sassuolo all interested in the €15 million man. Mauro Zárate's future may seem clearer; even amidst interest from England, though, he'll have to wait to learn his role next year until management has decided what to do with Giuseppe Rossi. Bologna's Riccardo Bigon denies that the Rossoblu have made any approach, even as word spreads that the striker's agent is meeting with the team's representatives in Milan. Espanyol are also doing their due diligence on the talismanic forward. Mario Gómez, on the other hand, is certain to leave. It's his destination (and price) that remain unknown, especially since Wolfsburg have denied any interest in him. His agent Uli Ferber is in Florence to talk with Corvino, so perhaps there'll be some resolution soon. Given his decisive goal against Northern Ireland, his stock may be rising, much to the delight of the Viola. And lastly, Salernitana are after promising young Uruguayan Jaime Báez, who'd move over for a spell on loan.

Rehashing last summer's rumors, Fiorentina are again on the trail of Mattia Destro, although Inter are also watching the Bologna striker. The Kevin Lasagna rumor is also back, as Carpi may have finally resigned themselves to losing their high-energy forward. Empoli speedster Manuel Pucciarelli is a more appealing option, although the Azzuri want a rather offputting €7 million for him. Bayer Leverkusen's Swiss international Admir Mehmedi is a cheaper option at just €5 million, and several outlets have reported that Fiorentina are keen on him. Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia striker Marko Pjaca (who knocked Ante Rebić out of the "promising young striker" role in the national team) is another possibility, although his club has set a price variously reported as €10 or even €15 million, which looks like chump change compared to the €50 million Southampton have set as the price for Senegalese forward Sadio Mané, whom Fiorentina were briefly linked to.