Chiesa in line for a contract extension

Following the disastrous Matías Vecino affair saw the midfielder leave for Inter Milan due to an absurdly low €24 million buyout clause, the Fiorentina braintrust seem to be working hard to not repeat such a rookie mistake. That’s why they’re working on locking down 19-year-old star Federico Chiesa to a new contract, even though he signed an extension just 6 months ago.

Currently signed through 2021 on a wage believed to be worth around €20,000 annually, it’s hardly a secret that a murderers’ row of clubs are trying to pry him away from Florence. Napoli have spent the most time pursuing him, despite the Viola’s clearly stated intentions not to sell him this summer, but Juventus, Inter Milan, Manchester United, and Chelsea have all registered some level of interest.

That’s why Corvino and company need Chiesa to sign a new contract. In this post-Neymar world, the entire calculus of release clauses looks very, very different. It’s no longer enough to insert language into the agreement that sets the minimum offer at a certain number. It’s clear that management needs to not just think of what’s an absurdly high fee now, but what will remain absurdly high in three years as more and larger transfer fees change hands and inflate the system. For Chiesa, a clause of €100 million is reasonable, given the absurdity of this mercato.

For his part, Fede has just been called up for the Italy U21 matches against Spain and Slovenia next week. It’s believed that he’ll enter this new round of negotiations with the Viola when he returns. A pay raise is certainly in the cards, but it may be more important to assure him that 1) he’s the unquestioned centerpiece of this team, which is a lot more than just about any 19-year-old in the world can boast, and 2) that the Della Valles are going to continue building a young, talented, and hungry squad around him.

The early rumblings out of the Chiesa camp—mostly through his father Enrico—are encouraging, as Church Senior has missed no opportunities to reiterate his son’s happiness in Florence. Right now, it’s a perfect marriage between player and club, and the joy of the renewal of vows is only slightly offset by the pre-nuptial agreement, which indicates a certain cynicism about the long-term relationship. But for now, he’s happy and we’re happy, and that’s all that matters.