Fiorentina linked with Enrico Brignola

Reports from La Gazzetta today state that Fiorentina are pursuing 18-year old Benevento forward Enrico Brignola.

Able to play either as a second striker or on the right wing, Brignola began the season as the captain of Benevento’s primavera team, and following an impressive spell was handed his first Serie A appearance by first team manager Roberto De Zebri in December. Whilst Benevento have endured a truly awful season, sitting bottom of the table with just 10 points from 28 games, Brignola has been amongst gli Stregoni’s best players, finding the net three times in his twelve starts so far this season.

Brignola’s bright form has been rewarded with a call up to Italy’s u19 national team (for whom he made his debut yesterday, coming off the bench after 66 minutes in a 2-0 victory against Greece), as well as the attention of a number of more established Serie A sides, with Fiorentina, Milan, and Sassuolo all reported as having shown interest in the young player.

Though it seems unlikely that relegation-doomed Benevento will manage to hold on to Brignola this Summer, the Campagna-based club are naturally eager to maximise the possible return on their young asset, and are believed to be asking for a minimum of €8,000,000 for the player.

Should Benevento President Oreste Vigorito genuinely seek such a hefty figure, then it is unlikely that Fiorentina would be willing to meet their expectations for a player who does not provide a significant immediate upgrade over the club’s current players at his position. However, if Benevento are forced to lower the player’s asking price, then Brignola would be an interesting bench option for a Viola side that has lacked quality attacking depth this season.