Sampdoria tentatively interested in Iličić

According to a report from the Reppublica (relayed here by Viola News), Sampdoria are interested in bringing Josip Iličić to Genoa, although the Blucerchiati offer is well short of the €7 million requested by Fiorentina; apparently Daniele Pradè—yeah, he’s the DS at Samp now—is trying to bring the Slovenian aboard for just €4 million, which would certainly be a steal.

Samp have resigned themselves to losing playmaker Ricky Álvarez, as interest from Olympiacos has grown in recent weeks. To replace the Argentine, Pradè has decided that a raid in Florence would be just the thing. On the one hand, Lurch would be an excellent replacement for Álvarez. On the other hand, Doria’s already got a plethora of dudes who can play that withdrawn striker or attacking midfield role: Luis Muriel, Bruno Fernandes, Dennis Praet, and Filip Đuričić can all operate in that space.

However, that wouldn’t be the Viola’s problem. Getting Lurch—and his €1.2 million salary—off the books makes a lot of sense right now. Riccardo Saponara is the trequartista of the future for the team and honestly should have spent most of last season starting, while Ianis Hagi is probably a season away from needing significant minutes as well. With Fiorentina entering a rebuilding period and a focus on youth, a 29-year-old Slovenian with a large wage bill becomes more expendable than usual, especially when he’s as uneven and one-dimensional as our Josip.