Fiorentina will not redeem loanees Fernandes and Mirallas

We’ve had most of a season to arrive at this conclusion, but the rumor mill is now reinforcing what common sense explained long ago: Fiorentina will turn down the options on both Edimilson Fernandes and Kevin Mirallas, who will return to West Ham United and Everton, respectively. Especially with the arrival of new manager Vincenzo Montella, it’s hard to imagine either fitting into next year’s plans.

It’s a serious missed opportunity for Edi, who’d flamed out for the Hammers and seemed like a decent fit in Stefano Pioli’s high-intensity, physically demanding setup. However, the €8 million it would take to keep the 22-year-old Swiss international in Florence is surely too dear for a player who, despite a couple of shining moments, has been a disappointment this year. Despite his undeniable athleticism, Fernandes’ penchant for constantly misplacing simple passes and trying unsuccessfully to dribble past his defender cancel out any other contributions. Fortunately for him, Lyon has been linked to a swoop for him this summer.

Mirallas, on the other hand, is 31 years old and probably approaching the end of the line. While his tactical nous and clever positioning have provided the occasional spark to the Viola attack, he’s all too often been MIA. While he’s certainly been better than the player whose loan at Olympiacos was terminated early last year due to his awful play, he looks like he may be on his last legs as a top-tier attacker. While he probably has plenty to offer a team in his native Belgium or at a similar level, it’s hard to see any team in the big leagues making a play for him, and the Blues will probably want to end his contract early if possible.

If Fernandes and Mirallas leave along with AS Roma loanee Gerson (who doesn’t have a clause in his deal), Fiorentina will look very different next year. And that’s not even taking into account the potential exits of Federico Chiesa, Jordan Veretout, Nikola Milenković, Cristiano Biraghi, and Vitor Hugo. Looks like it’s going to be another busy transfer market in Florence this year.