Corvino Chases Pjaca

Reports from Calciomercato today suggest that Director of Sport Pantaleo Corvino views Croatia’s Marko Pjaca as Fiorentina’s main transfer target.

Pjaca gained international attention two years ago when he helped Croatia beat European Champions Spain 2-1 during Euro 2016. Shortly the winger signed for Juventus from Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb for a fee in the region of €22,000,000.

However, Pjaca has struggled to make a claim for first team football during an injury-stricken spell in Turin, making just three starts and eleven substitute appearances in his first year in Serie A, and similarly struggling for playing time this season whilst on loan at Schalke. After two disappointing years, it is believed that Juventus are willing to move on.

It was reported earlier this month that i bianconeri hoped to include Pjaca in a deal that would bring Federico Chiesa to the Allianz Stadium, but Fiorentina have so far remained steadfast in their refusal to part with the 20-year old Italian international. Instead, Corvino wishes to bring Pjaca to Tuscsany on a one-year long loan deal with an obligation to buy. The fee involved could prove to be a significant roadblock as Juventus would likely seek to recoup as much of the fee they paid Zagreb as they can, whilst Fiorentina are unlikely to sink a large part of their transfer budget into a player who has yet to demonstrate his value in a top league.

More a wide forward than a traditional winger, Pjaca is not a natural fit into Stefano Pioli’s preferred 4-3-3, at least with Giovanni Simeone leading the line for la viola, but should the 23-year old remain healthy, he could prove a very shrewd signing, and certainly a huge improvement over the current options at left wing.