Agent: Babacar isn’t leaving in this window

Patrick Bastianelli has represented Khouma Babacar for a long time, so he knows both his client and Fiorentina pretty well at this point. That’s why we’re really excited when he says that the Babacar Named Desire isn’t going anywhere in January.

Citing his lack of playing time, a lot of media outlets have predicted that the Viola’s longest-serving player would move on sooner rather than later. Given his rugged physique and sheer athleticism, most expected a midtable Premier League side to come calling. After being ignored by Paulo Sousa for the past 2 seasons, it’d be hard to fault Babacar for wanting out.

Instead, though, Bastianelli told a Radio Sportiva interviewer earlier today that the Senegalese forward won’t leave this month, and will review his options at the end of the season. He also fairly pointed out that yeah, Babacar deserves more playing time, mentioning that his minutes-per-goal ratio is almost identical to that of Mauro Icardi, whom you may have heard is doing okay at Inter Milan.

It’s been widely reported that the striker is upset with Paulo Sousa about the lack of matches, and that his decision to stay or leave will largely depend on what happens with the Portuguese mister’s position at the club. But with Nikola Kalinic maybe tipping towards a move to China, having an academy product and proven scorer ready to step up would ease the concerns a lot of us have.