Report: Erick edging towards exit to Flamengo

It’s pretty clear that Erick doesn’t have a place in Fiorentina’s plans. The 28-year-old Chile international was judged surplus to requirements in Moena last year and is on the outside looking again there again. With a contract expiring at the end of the season, it’s probably in everyone’s best interest for him to move somewhere soon, and it sounds like a move to the other Serie A is looming, courtesy of Paulo Sousa (doing the Viola one last favor, maybe?) and Flamengo.

Despite not fitting Italiano’s system at all, Erick is still a good player. A holding midfielder who excels at maintaining his positional discipline and putting out little fires in front of the defense, he also possesses one of the best set piece deliveries in Europe, having led the five major leagues in chances created from dead balls under Giuseppe Iachini a few years ago. He’s very much able to fulfill a crucial role in certain systems.

However, his clunkiness in possession and hesitance to charge forward in order to press opponents mean that he isn’t an Italiano prototype, and the arrival of Rolano Mandragora only confirms that. The signing of Serie A’s premier blasphemer and the late-season surge from Sofyan Amrabat confirm that Erick has been rendered superfluous again.

His value is as low as it’ll get following an underwhelming spell at Galatasaray to finish last season; he started just 7 of 15 matches and didn’t impress in a toxic atmosphere that saw the Turkish giants finish a shocking 13th under Domènec Torrent, so it’s no surprise they decided not to buy him. A fresh start back in South America should suit Erick quite a bit.

More importantly for Fiorentina, his departure will free up a non-EU roster spot, allowing the team to finally register Dodô, who’s been hanging out in Milan and Florence with his family. Getting how excited we are about the Brazilian fullback, getting him settled in and out on the pitch as soon as possible feels like a big win.

Too, Erick comes with the added baggage of an ongoing sexual assault case following a party at his home in Chile. Since the investigation is ongoing, we can’t say any more than that, but it’s not a good look for a player who’s already had more than his share of brushes with the law.

The current case, along with Erick’s expiring contract and status within the club, mean that Fiorentina probably won’t make more than a couple million euros from his sale. While that’s a bit disappointing, considering that Daniele Pradè and Joe Barone rejected a reported €15 million bid from Leeds last year, we can consider it as an extra fee for bringing in Dodô. It also removes another player without a role from the squad, which saves money and headaches for everyone. Hopefully this one goes through pretty soon and works out for everyone.