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Tuttomercatoweb.com have reported that Fiorentina are interested in central defender Oscar Duarte. The 26-year-old Costa Rican plays his domestic football for Club Brugge. It is no secret that the viola are in the market for a central defender in January, and have already been linked with names such as Benfica's Lisandro Lopez and AC Milan's Philippe Mexès.
Duarte has made 17 appearances for the Costa Rican national team since his debut in 2010, scoring 2 goals in total. The defender impressed in the South American side's 1-0 victory over the USMNT last night, and also featured in Costa Rica's stunning 1-0 upset over Italy in the 2014 World Cup.
It is not the first time that the player has been linked with a move to Italy - last summer he was linked with interest from Palermo but ended up staying put in Belgium. Club Brugge may been keen to hang on to the player, however as he has made 96 appearances since his arrival from Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa in 2013.
Despite the interest, there is still a way to go before the window opens. It is probably wise to expect more names to appear on the Fiorentina central defender wish list before then.