Transfer Tuesday

Goalkeepers

Well, that didn’t take long. We’ve heard rumblings that Paulo Sousa doesn’t rate Bartlomiej Dragowski and has no plans to include the Polish custodian in his plans. The teenager is saying and doing all the right things—in a recent Facebook post, he wrote, “This is just the beginning of my adventure, and with hard work, everything will change”—but he’s clearly discouraged by his spot on the bench. A loan move in January could well be in the cards.

Midfielders

Dejan Joksimovic, well-known around these parts as the whiny loudmouth Milan Badelj has chosen to represent him professionally, is at it again. It, in this case, is desperately trying to engineer a move away from Fiorentina by speaking to the press. He’s acknowledged that a deal is unlikely to happen over the winter, but emphasizes that next summer—when the Croatian international’s contract has only a year left—his client will certainly leave for a Champions League club. Which, of course, begs the question of why he’s so fixated on AC Milan.

To replace him, Atalanta and Cote d’Ivoire star Franck Kessie remains the first man up. Although he’s been linked to a number of megaclubs in England, the 19-year-old may not be quite ready for such a step up, and the Viola could prove an excellent solution. The player is versatile, capable of playing as a centerback or a midfielder, and his juggernaut build belies a deft touch and a surprising eye for goal.

Forwards

The newest striking sensation linked to Fiorentina is Maccabi Tel Aviv attacker Tal Ben Haim. The 27-year-old Israeli international (not to be confused with the 34-year-old defender of the same name who also plays for the same domestic and international teams) has set the Ligat HaAl alight with 4 goals in just 3 matches, as well as a pair of assists in Maccabi’s 3-4 loss to Zenit St. Petersburg in the Europa League. A truly two-footed player, he’s a composed finisher who’s perfectly willing to shoot from distance, as the Azzuri recently discovered to their dismay.

Oh, and he’s a wizard who can make opponents completely sky free kicks, which could be useful as well.