Top 5 Fiorentina signings for 2019/2020

Fiorentina were struggling least season, but this season, that won’t be the case.

After finishing 16th on the table for season 2018/2019, owners had no choice buy to sell the club to wealthy Italy-born businessman Rocco Commisso.

They did not make a wrong choice. Rocco Commisso was born in Calabria and moved to America aged 12 as a poor immigrant, but is now worth an estimated $5 billion after founding cable company Mediacom. He returned to Italy in June in triumph as new President of Fiorentina, ending 17 years of Della Valle rule.

Commisso has since wasted no time in bringing change to Fiorentina, financing a squad rebuild that has seen the likes of Ribery arrive from Bayern Munich. He also owns the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Fiorentina, based in Florence, Italy and known by fans as La Viola for the violet color of its uniforms, has had some past success, winning the Italian Cup in 2001. On the way of making the Serie A side great again, the club has brought many new faces. We take a look at the best of them.

Here are the Top 5 Fiorentina signings for 2019/2020.

5. Erick Pulgar

The 25-year-old midfielder Pulgar joined Fiorentina from fellow Serie A side Bologna. He is both an extremely versatile and talented player who will contribute to both the defensive and attacking side of the game. Some believe he is similar in performance to that of his countryman Arturo Vidal, which could make his fee a real bargain.

He can contribute to both sides of the game. His attacking side is down to his ability to shoot from distance and also, his set-piece taking can be a real danger.

SEE ALSO:

4. Milan Badelj

After a short one-year stint at Lazio, Milan Badelj returned at former side Fiorentina. Badelj left Fiorentina on a Bosman to Lazio after refusing to sign an extension. He even took over Davide Astori’s armband for a bit when German Pezzella went down injured at the end of the 2017-2018 season. He scored 6 goals assisted 10, and earned 37 yellow cards and 2 red cards in that time.

Badelj is a huge upgrade to the midfield from last season. His calmness on the ball and his awareness and bite in the tackle gives freedom to the other midfielders around him. The 30-year-old still has plenty to offer and his love for the club meant it was a no-brainer. Also, he will be a great addition to the Viola engine rood in midfield, as he is reliable and able to carry any burden.

3. Pol Lirola

Fiorentina managed to scoop up two Sassuolo players this summer. One of them is defender Pol Lirola. The 21-year-old from Spain, who is capped at an under-21 level, has already made 81 appearances in Serie A. He is a fantastic solution to a problem position for La Viola.

Right-back has been a problem area for Fiorentina for quite some time. Since Nenad Tomovic departed the club back in 2018, they had brought in Bruno Gaspar and Vincent Laurini but neither, in truth, really provided a real option for the club. He will bring a great attacking threat down the right-hand side to compliment Federico Chiesa and be equally solid defensively.

2. Kevin Prince-Boateng

The 32-year-old has had a career which has spanned 15 years, so he will bring plenty of experience to a youthful Fiorentina side. In January, he was loaned to Barcelona. Now he has found himself returning to Serie A to sign for Fiorentina.

Boateng has failed to settle at most clubs and perhaps the only club he was remotely settled at was with AC Milan back in 2010. He was with the Rossoneri for three years and showed just how good a player he was. Fiorentina struggled last season with goals and while Boateng is not an out-and-out striker, he does possess the ability to chip in with some goals. Just last season, Fiorentina’s midfield was missing something different.

What Fiorentina have been missing is energy in midfield and a player like Boateng who is competent on the ball and possesses that drive is exactly the type of player that Vincenzo Montella needs in his side.

1. Frank Ribery

Probably one of the biggest surprises this summer is Ribery’s free agent move to Italy. The winger who has been capped 81 times by France having represented them in four major tournaments, will bring a wealth of experience at the top level to head coach Vincenzo Montella’s squad.

For all those with at least a passing interest in Serie A football, the acquisition of Franck Ribery by Fiorentina is enough to raise at least a few eyebrows. Yet for the supporters in the Tuscan city, this deal represents much, much more. It has been a long time since Fiorentina fans have celebrated the signing of a big name from a top European club, perhaps even since Stefan Effenberg joined the side from Bayern Munich back in 1992.

Even at 36, Ribery remains the signing that will truly mark a shift in approach for Fiorentina. Here is a world-famous player, winner of the Champions League, with numerous Bundesliga titles to his name and named in 3rd place in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2013. This capture marks the start of a new era for Fiorentina, one that will see the investment in the squad rise exponentially as the team’s results improve.