Official: Giuseppe Rossi renews contract

Sometime-Italy striker and noted-purveyor of questionable hats Giuseppe Rossi has agreed to a contract renewal with Fiorentina. With numerous sources reporting on the official nature of the deal, it seems Rossi has agreed to reshuffle the way his wages are paid.

With his old contract set to expire in 2017, the exact details of the new deal are yet to be known. What we do know is that the payment structure is likely to reflect the recent injury difficulties that the New Jersey-born striker has faced in recent years. While the overall amounts are likely to remain the same, there will be a greater emphasis on appearance and goal related bonuses, with the player being paid more for making the team and contributing to the score-sheet.

Ever since arriving in Florence in 2012, Rossi has only managed a grand total of 26 appearances. In his time on the field, however, he's scored 17 goals. The real problem has been a huge amount of time spent on the sidelines. Repeated knee injuries have hampered the effectiveness of the player, who has also spent time at Manchester United and Villarreal. The new structure of the contract is likely to protect the club should more injuries blight the player's availability.

The same has been true of his career with the national team, with ex-Viola coach Cesare Prandelli dropping the striker during his tenure as Italy manager. The two fell out after Rossi was not deemed reliable enough for the 2014 World Cup, with Prandelli still certain that he is due an apology. In his time with the Azzurri, Rossi has made 30 appearances and scored 7 goals.

Rossi is being eased back into the team this year. Now facing competition in the form of the up-and-coming Khouma Babacar and the ridiculously in-form Nikola Kalinić, Rossi will have to battle his way back into the team. Well-liked by the fans (he scored a hat trick in the famous 4-2 against Juventus) and with a good goal scoring record, Rossi's quality is apparent. That the team doesn't have to rely on him (or Mario Gomez) is best for both parties. All in all, this seems like the perfect way to keep Rossi at the club without having to rely on him.