Emre Mor nearing a Fiorentina move

Pantaleo Corvino has been working to fill the Federico Bernardeschi shaped hole left in the Fiorentina squad since the number 10’s defection to Juventus. While Rafik Zekhnini has had his moments in preseason play, common sense dictates that the Crow will also look for a player who’s proven himself in a top league to replace the former Viola talisman. That’s why the news that Emre Mor is nearing a move to Florence is so exciting.

Just 20 years old, the Danish-born Turk moved from Nordsjælland to Borussia Dortmund for €9.75 million last season. He made 19 appearances for the Gelsenkirchen outfit, scoring once and adding 3 assists. He’s also got 12 caps for Turkey despite his tender years, and scored his first international goal back in March. He was the third-youngest player at the Euros in 2016.

Although he wears 9 on the back of his shirt for BVB, he’s a winger through and through. He prefers to play on the right side of midfield, which allows him to cut onto his stronger left foot, but he’s comfortable on the left or through the center as well. Although he has world-class pace, he rarely runs in behind, preferring to drop deep, receive the ball to feet, then turn and beat his marker (and frequently another two or three defenders) with his delightful dribbling. That’s probably his greatest attribute: a willingness and ability to skip past challenges and win free kicks in a manner that’s a bit reminiscent of Juan Cuadrado.

While he is, at his best, a world-class attacking prospect, he’s not without his blemishes. Due to his stature and style of play, he’s prone to injury in crunching tackles against larger defenders. He’s also got a habit of holding the ball too long when a simple pass would serve the team better. He’s also a bit too fond of a shot from distance, given the clip he scores them at. Still and all, though, he’s not a bad option at €12 million, which is what Dortmund have requested for him. The prospect of him, Federico Chiesa, and Zekhnini in an attacking three is very exciting and could go a long way towards restoring some faith in the Viola management.