Fiorentina weighing bid for Sunderland’s Larsson

In the absence of Borja Valero, Fiorentina have clearly struggled to move the ball forward with any coherency. As the already-legendary Spanish midfielder gets older, it’ll become more and more important to have a fallback option for him. Enter Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson.

The 31-year-old Swedish international currently plays for David Moyes and relegation-bound Sunderland. More of a bench option for the Black Cats, he’s been quite good when called upon. He’s clever and versatile—comfortable in the middle of the pitch or on the right—who plays the first pass forward quickly and likes to get himself into the box when possible. What he’s best known for, though, is a knack for spectacular long-range goals. He’s also a wonderful crosser of the ball, both from open play and set pieces.

His contract runs out this year, so the Tynesiders would jump to turn a profit on him as scrabble to beat the drop. On the downside, he’s very slow, already 31 years old, and not exactly a creative force in the Borja mold. While adding quality players is never a bad idea, it doesn’t seem like he’d offer enough to play a lot of minutes in the Viola midfield.