Vargas renewal looking increasingly unlikely

Breaking up is hard to do, as they say, and Fiorentina seem to be doing a lot of it at present. The rebuilding of the squad under new manager Paolo Sousa is about to begin and Juan Manuel Vargas looks to be one of the players due to be out of contract on July 1st who will not be offered a new deal.

The Peruvian midfielder first signed for Fiorentina from Catania way back in 2008 and has scored 17 goals in 147 appearances for the Viola. There was some early optimism that a new deal could be reached, as despite being very much a squad player, El Loco has versatility on his side, having played all over the midfield and even as an heroic makeshift centreback, defending a 1-0 lead with nine men in those last few minutes away to Inter back in March.

The emphatic goal that sealed the victory against Dinamo Kyiv last season and the celebration that followed was so indicative of the spirit of the Peruvian, which has undoubtedly been a factor in sealing his place in the hearts of the Fiorentina faithful.

If no new deal is forthcoming, it is to be hoped that some good recent performances in the Copa America will stand Vargas in good stead when he looks for a new club next month.