Fiorentina has sent another ouctast northwest to newly-promoted Venezia. Joining Matías Moreno is Simon Sohm. According to Nicolò Schira, the formula of the deal is a loan with an option that could pay the Viola up to €11 million. From the way he’s phrased it, I assume there’s an initial fee and then a larger payment to make the move permanent. If the Lagunari make the move permanent (likely contingent on their achieving survival), he’ll sign a 4-year contract.
Sohm, 25, has a good chance to stick with Venezia. He’ll provide a burst of energy to the midfield (where he’ll join our old friend Alfred Duncan) and should do all the dirty work a newly-promoted team needs in the engine room. Looking at the roster, my guess is that Giovanni Stroppa will start him, Gianluca Busio, and Toma Bašić in the middle, with Kike Pérez and Emil Bohinen filling in. The focus will be on running and defending rather than possession and that should suit Sohm’s strengths.
The Switzerland international is a better player than he showed in his disastrous 2025-2026 campaign, when he flamed out in Florence (in fairness to him, as part of the worst team context I’ve ever seen at the club) and then failed to make an impression at Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna, which was also wracked by difficulties. €10 million is a lot of money for Venezia—Akor Adams signed on from Valencia recently and is the only player they’ve paid over €8 million for in club history—but with a good showing, he might make the move permanent.
As a reminder, it’s not Sohm’s fault that Daniele Pradè “negotiated” a ridiculous €15 million fee for him that put him under way too much pressure. Neither is it Sohm’s fault that Stefano Pioli’s second tenure was a case study in malfeasance. I doubt any of the Viola faithful will regret his departure but he’s a fine player who was put in a miserable situation not of his making. I wish him the best in bouncing back.
I’ve been harsh on Fabio Paratici but he also deserves credit for this deal. If Venezia picks up the option, it will leave the club with a loss of just €1-2 million on Sohm after amortizing his initial fee. That’s a better outcome than I could’ve forecast and could provide a nice little financial boost next summer. That’s why every Fiorentina fan should be rooting for Venezia this year: if Sohm and Moreno lead the Lagunari to safety, the Viola will profit more than anyone.
