Don’t worry, it’s not that Lazzari

It’s pretty much an accepted fact that the greatest weakness on this current iteration of Fiorentina is the rightback spot, mostly because there aren’t any rightbacks on the roster for most matches. Carlos Salcedo, while a promising centerback, never looks comfortable when forced out wide. Nenad Tomovic, bless his loyal and earnest heart, simply can’t do the job. And Kevin Diks, despite being the only natural right-footed fullback on the roster, can’t break through despite a fine pedigree and success with the Primavera.

So nobody’s surprised when the Viola are linked in the media to a rightback. The most recent name belongs to Manuel Lazzari, a 22-year-old wingback currently plying his trade with SPAL in Serie B. Usually deployed out wide in a 3-5-2, he can play anywhere along the right, from fullback to winger, and even push inside to a central midfield role in a pinch. His greatest attribute is his pace, and he’s got impressive stamina as well as a good delivery from the wing. The defensive side of his game, however, could use quite a bit of work if he wants to make it in Serie A.

SPAL spotted him as an 18-year-old with lower-league side Giacomense back in 2013, snapping him up. He’s spent 3 years as the first choice wingback now, amassing 85 Serie B appearances in which he’s gotten 2 goals, 7 assists, 24 yellow cards, and 2 red cards. He’s a low-cost option—probably not much more than €1.5 million—who could wind up being a useful rotational squad player, but it’s hard to see a ceiling higher than that. Udinese are also after him, so Corvino will have to move fast if this report is true.