Milan Badelj May Stay with Fiorentina Next Season

Now that we all are starting to crawl out of our holes after the Juventus game on Friday, it is time to look at something positive. Well it may not be positive to some, but still others may think it is. Reports have started to surface that it is possible that Midfielder Milan Badelj may stay in Florence after his contract ends in June. Badelj has been the most consistent midfielder for La Viola this season. Granted that is not saying much, but still he has had a good season.

The numbers do not really give Badelj justice this season. He has been the defensive anchor of the midfield and begins a lot of the counter attacks. Until this season, Badelj has been kind of a boring midfielder that would play a role on the roster. Under Stefano Pioli, the Croatian footballer has become the most important piece of the midfield. It makes sense why he was not transferred away at the transfer window.

In a recent interview according to Sportstarlive.com, he said that money is not an issue:

“My Fiorentina contract expires in June,” he told Corriere dello Sport. “It’s not the financial conditions that make the difference, but rather what could be an opportunity for life”

That line of thinking is exactly what Pantaleo Corvino wants to hear. Money seems to always be the issue. Meaning Fiorentina loves to get money for good players and not spend it on other good players. If they can potentially keep Badelj, who is in his prime, for a decent price it would be worth it. Letting Badelj go on a free transfer this summer would be an absolute mistake (this is probably going to be the outcome).

Badelj even said himself in that same article: “I want to bring Fiorentina up and then, after that, I could even stay.”

If you are a Milan Badelj fan, that is music to your ears. Most Fiorentina fans are probably indifferent on the matter. Badelj is a solid player that fits into Pioli’s scheme very well. the problem is he is a bit boring. Losing Badelj is not going to cause an uproar like losing Federico Bernardeschi did. The fact of the matter is Badelj seems to actually want to be here. That should really go a long way because Fiorentina is not necessarily the most desirable destination these days.