We’re approaching the end of this series investigating the players that Fiorentina could conceivably add on free transfers this summer and now we’re onto the wingers. The rules are the same as usual: the player has to be out of contract this summer and has to be someone who’s a reasonable option for Fiorentina, in terms of salary and fit. That means, say, Willian isn’t someone who’s going to show up on this list.

The wide attackers in the squad currently are pretty dang good. Federico Chiesa is obviously the headliner, with Franck Ribery getting the next highest billing and Riccardo Sottil poised to break through. Christian Kouamé can play out wide as well. With Rachid Ghezzal and uh Cyril Théréau departing, there could be room for youngsters like Rafik Zekhnini, Tòfol Montiel, and Christian Koffi; the former two especially may be ready to take the next step.

You might think, with so many options in the first team or waiting in the wings (sorry) for a position that doesn’t actually exist for the team at the moment, that the Viola are pretty well set. That said, you know that Daniele Pradè and Joe Barone are doing their due diligence, and so will we. We’d expect any signings to be made with an eye to the future rather than as immediate impacts, but you can’t count out a surprise from the brain trust.

Mario Götze

It’s been a will-he-won’t-he story all year. The German attacker has declined a bit over the past couple of years but is still somehow only 27. It sounded like Borussia Dortmund had decided to turn him loose, but recent reports say that they may get back together. If he does walk, it sounds like Italy might be his intended destination; AS Roma and AC Milan have been the most commonly-mentioned clubs. While his pace isn’t what it was, he’s still got absurdly quick feet, fantastic close control and vision, and the technique to pick passes and fire shots from anywhere. Basically, imagine the current version of Franck Ribery but more so. He’d demand a massive contract, of course, but that’s what you get when you sign such a famous player. More concerning is where he’d fit in the squad: he’s mostly played as a false 9 of late and is equally comfortable working as a 10, but neither of those really fit in Giuseppe Iachini’s plans. It’d also be quite a shock to go from BVB to the Viola, given the lack of European competition for the good guys. Still, when you get a chance to add a player of Götze’s class, you sort of have to take it, and he’s the sort of signing who’d send a message. We know that’s what Rocco’s looking to do.

Pros: skill, experience, versatility

Cons: salary, scheme fit, language

Likelihood that he’s a target: 20%

Daniel Caligiuri

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a long and fruitful spell with Schalke and even wears the armband for them, but there’ve been rumblings this spring that die Knappen are ready to move on from a player they think may be beginning his decline. If he has another couple of years in him, though, he’d be a great addition as either a wingback or a winger on the right. He’s a good dribbler, good crosser, smart passer, and solid defender; the only quality he doesn’t possess is sering pace, but his overall quality more than makes up for it. While he’s spent his whole career in Germany, he has Italian citizenship and could be tempted to into giving Serie A a try.

Pros: experience, versatility, scheme fit, talent

Cons: salary, age, expected role

Likelihood that he’s a target: 15%

Lucas Rodríguez

The 22-year-old forward was supposed to transfer to DC United but the American outfit couldn’t get the deal over the line in time, so now he’s back with Estudiantes. He scored 6 goals in 33 appearances in MLS, showcasing impressive pace and dribbling and a knack for finding space in the box, and he’s hit a few truly spectacular goals already in his young career. He can play out of control at times and will probably need a year or two to adjust. He can also play through the middle as a striker, which adds to his appeal. With his move to the US kiboshed, European clubs could be interested, although Florence would be a slightly odd destination as he wouldn’t get a lot of minutes in the first team and doesn’t speak Italian as far as I know, so Spain is probably higher on his list, but he’d be a good investment.

Pros: athleticism, potential, versatility

Cons: non-EU status, language, role

Likelihood that he’s a target: 20%

Tomás Chancalay

At 21 years old, Chancalay looks like he could wind up being an excellent fit in Europe. He’s got the pace and dribbling tricks to go with an eye for the spectacular. Despite his trickiness, though, he tends to play very directly. Honestly, he may be a bit too direct at times; he shoots a lot, especially for someone who doesn’t score much. He broke out with a 3-goal campaign as an 18-year-old for Colón but his output has dropped every year since and he didn’t get on the scoresheet at all this season. He’s got all the athletic traits you could want but needs to put them together. He’d be another low-risk, high-reward investment but doesn’t look like he’s quite at Rodríguez’ level.

Pros: athleticism, skill, salary, potential

Cons: language, culture, recent form, non-EU status

Likelihood that he’s a target: 10%

Duván Vergara

The 23-year-old Colombian is a spectacular player. He has game-breaking speed, fantastic skill on the ball, and a track record of scoring marvelous goals. He’s more of a YouTube player at this point, though, who’s capable of breathtaking moments but can’t string them together. It sounds like he’s leaving Deportivo Cali and his marvelous athleticism makes him a tempting target, but Florence could wind up being a tough sell due to the language barrier, his non-EU status, and the tough path to playing time. Like the two players above him in this list, though, he’s a low-risk investment with a high ceiling.

Pros: skill, salary, athletic profile

Cons: language, non-EU status, role, playing time, age

Likelihood that he’s a target: 10%