For the past several weeks, one of the primary names linked to Fiorentina has been Simon Sohm. He looks like a solid reinforcement for a midfield that’s lacking proven Serie A talent and this is the right time to add him. Now, according to various reporters, Daniele Pradè is ready to splash €16 million on the 2-time Switzerland and offer him a 5-year contract with an annual salary of €1.3 million.
As I wrote previously, I like Sohm as a player. He’s big and strong, can run forever, and has the intelligence
to fulfill several different roles: defensive midfield destroyer, box-to-box runner, or maybe even wingback. He’s a good ball-carrier, particularly in transition, and matches a lot of what Stefano Pioli wants to do tactically. I’m particularly excited at the prospect of him and Jacopo Fazzini tearing up the middle of the park and pressing opponents to death.
The problem with Sohm is that he’s never been much of a passer, serving as more of a functional ball-mover than incisive playmaker even in the best of circumstances. Fiorentina expects to compete for the Champions League spots, which means it will likely face a lot of deep blocks that require creative problem-solving and technical excellence from the midfielders.
I don’t think Sohm’s the kind of player who can consistently provide those qualities. His 4 goals last year were a good return, especially for offensively-challenged Parma, but also equaled his total across the previous 6 seasons, which makes me think that number is more fluky than repeatable.
My other reason for concern is the finances involved. €16 million feels like a lot of money for a 24-year-old with just 1 full season as a top flight regular. Even if Pradè and Roberto Goretti see untapped potential in him, I doubt he’s a regista in the mold that Pioli’s reportedly desired. A €16 million outlay, though, could be sufficient to assure him first or second crack at a major role, and I’m not convinced he’s an upgrade on Fazzini, Nicolò Fagioli, or Rolando Mandragora.
This all sounds pretty negative and I don’t mean it to be. I think he could be excellent in some situations. Maybe I’ve completely mis-evaluatd his technical ability—he usually deferred to Adrián Bernabé for on-ball stuff and could have a much higher ceiling there if given the opportunity to reach it—but €16 million is Fagioli money, and I don’t think it’s ungenerous to say that Sohm hasn’t demonstrated that level of performance yet.
Regardless of his role, his arrival would squeeze one of the current midfielders off the roster. My guess is Alessandro Bianco, but Sohm’s signing would push Amir Richardson and Cher Ndour down the pecking order and possibly edge them towards the exits as well, although they’ll both hope to prove their worth this week in the preseason friendlies in England.
As a reminder, transfer fees as reported are often way off the mark, so perhaps some of the reported fee is tied to performance bonuses or something. Again, this is nothing against Sohm, who is at worst a rock solid midfielder. If he’s brought in as a rotational option and Pradè’s got another star lined up, all this hand wringing will look very stupid. But if this move precludes the addition of another top regista, I’ll be a little disappointed.
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