Report: Chiesa still angling for Juventus move

Rocco Commisso has reiterated time and again his intention to keep Federico Chiesa at Fiorentina, despite rumors that the Italian international wants out. Gianluca di Marzio has added further fuel to that fire with a recent article stating that Chiesa and his representatives, including his father Enrico (hey, has anyone ever mentioned that he played for Fiorentina, and also that Borja Valero flamed out at West Bromwich Albion?), intend to insist on a sale to Juventus when they meet with the Viola owner on Monday.

While Fede certainly has the talent to feature for a Champions League club, Juve seems an odd fit at the moment, given that he’d be jockeying for space with Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Douglas Costa, Mario Mandžukić, Federico Bernardeschi, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Juan Cuadrado. That would lead to either a loan move away or a lot of time spent languishing on the bench. Too, there are plenty of experts who think that the 21-year-old winger needs another year or two of seasoning, which Fiorentina would provide perfectly. For example, Adam Digby (yeah, he’s a Juve fan, but he’s an absolutely top human and knows his stuff as well as anyone out there), gave us this analysis (read the full thread).

Commisso, though, needs to keep Fede. He’s made retaining the services of the young winger his top priority all summer, from his introductory press conference to his most recent statements. That may have been a mistake, since he’ll lose a lot of credibility if Chiesa does leave, but it’s also an encouraging sign of Commisso’s ambition. The cable mogul is as charming as they come and knows how to close a deal, so perhaps he’ll be able to convince the Chiesa delegation of why sticking in Florence for at least another year is in everyone’s best interest.

Along with the Jordan Veretout saga, this one could drag out for the rest of the summer, so buckle in, grab whatever calms your nerves—a cat or a nice Scotch or a warm cup of tea or your old Adrian Mutu jersey are good ones—and get ready for a lot more of this than anybody, including Commisso and Chiesa themselves, wants to deal with.