Fiorentina interested in Carlos Sánchez

For midfield reinforcement, it has been reported this week that Fiorentina made an offer for the 30 year old Colombian defensive midfielder Carlos Sánchez, who played the last two seasons with Aston Villa in the English Premier League. Villa were relegated last season after a disastrous campaign and it is believed that their new manager, Roberto Di Matteo, is considering offers from Fiorentina among other clubs for the destroyer.

Sánchez started his career in Uruguay before spending six years at Ligue 1's Valenciennes, followed by a year at Elche in La Liga and then two up and down years at Aston Villa. He missed much of last season with a hamstring injury. He has been a key figure for the Colombian national team in recent years, and had an especially strong 2015 Copa América, where he was named Man of the Match for his performance in Colombia's 1-0 group stage victory against Brazil. In this summer's Copa América Centenario, Sánchez was a starter in the knockout stage, getting sent off in Colombia's 0-2 semifinal loss to eventual champions Chile.

A defensive midfielder known for his strength (he is nicknamed "La Roca"), Sánchez is a fairly complete player whose biggest issue is his lack of pace, which has been notably exposed in the English league. He would be a good option to have for Fiorentina as the midfield currently lacks strength, although if either Milan Badelj or Matías Vecino are sold he would be a notable downgrade.

Marseille and Bologna are also reported to be interested in La Roca, and it appears Fiorentina is trying to take advantage of a breakdown in negotiations between the French club and Villa. Fiorentina are primarily interested in an initial loan deal, which has been typical this summer due to the lack of available funds.