Official: Fiorentina sign Bryan Dabo from Saint-Etienne

Fiorentina have announced the permanent signing of Bryan Dabo from French club Saint Etienne, the combative midfielder will be replacing Carlos Sanchez who is rumored to be leaving the club this window.

As the World Cup approaches, Carlos Sánchez is itching for regular football to make his case to José Pékerman that he’s still a key cog for los cafeteros. Since Stefano Pioli clearly doesn’t trust the handsome Colombian enough to give him minutes unless Milan Badelj is hurt, it makes sense for him to move elsewhere. Chievo Verona looks the likeliest destination, but Sánchez’ departure would leave a hole on the bench, especially if Sebastian Cristoforo moves on this window.

Enter Bryan Dabo. The 25-year-old Frenchman is enjoying a solid second season for Saint-Étienne since joining from Montpellier by way of Blackburn. He’s a powerful midfielder who relishes a challenge on the ground or in the air. He’s got some skill on the ball as well, although he’s more likely to recycle the ball than push it forward into the attack.

It’s believed to be a €4 million transfer which represents good value for money and a relatively risk free move by Pantaleo Corvino. The player himself has been spotted in Florence already. While he’s hardly the star name that the fans want from the Della Valles as a show of good faith in this turd of a season, he could be a good and useful squad member, capable of playing all over the midfield or even at rightback.

He’s also got the requisite coolness for a Viola player: he’s a multi-talented musician who sings quite nicely, and also plays bass, piano, and saxophone. It’s a sign of how beaten down the fans feel right now that picking up a cheap utility player with top-division experience and just entering his prime is seen as problematic, but that shouldn’t reflect on Dabo who has the chance to link up with former Saint Etienne team mate Jordan Veretout in the Viola midfield. Also, Dabo is now the sixth French player in the squad so he should have no problems settling in to his new environment.