Fiorentina’s squad for next season continues to take shape. After sorting out the futures of loanees Marco Brescianini, Giovanni Fabbian, and Daniele Rugani, the Viola announced today that the club has agreed to dissolve Tariq Lamptey’s contract, making him a free agent heading into the summer and whittling down a bloated squad just a bit more.
It’s not a huge surprise. There’ve been rumors for the past week or so that the 25-year-old rightback would leave the club less than a year after signing for just
€3 million from Brighton. Considering the size and length of his contract (€2.3 million annually until 2028), it’s no surprise that Fabio Paratici moved on from him, although I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some sort of financial transaction to convince Lamptey to pack up and leave.
It’s a disappointing conclusion to a Viola career that totaled all of 25 minutes. When he signed in the summer, I was cautiously optimistic. His medical history was a concern but he’d be a backup and hopefully wouldn’t put himself under too much physical stress. The best-case scenario was that Fiorentina didn’t fall off a cliff in Dodô‘s absence like it did at times the previous season, when the Brazilian’s ball-carrying was often the only way out of the defensive third.
Lamptey got his debut start against Como in the fourth gameweek and looked to be forging an excellent relationship with the similarly small and speedy Dodô on the right. The pair interchanged fluidly and caused the Lariani all sorts of problems until Lamptey’s knee buckled in the 22nd minute and he was forced off with what the club would soon confirm was a cruciate ligament tear.
It was brutal news for a player who’s dealt with more than his share of injuries. This is his 3rd significant knee issue in the past 3 seasons. Coupled with the numerous soft tissue problems he’s had, mostly in his hamstrings, and it’s fair to wonder what his next step will be. On his day, he’s a dynamic presence who can change a game with his on- and off-ball running but if he can’t get and stay healthy, finding a new home could be difficult.
The timing of the move is also a bit interesting. Cruciate tears usually take about 9 months to heal (modern medical science is amazing) and Lamptey’s probably right on the cusp of starting the on-field portion of his rehab. He wasn’t particularly visible around the Viola Park, which isn’t to say he was necessarily absent, but with Paratici mulling over a complete overhaul of the medical staff, I wonder if Lamptey’s release at this point is related, although he himself is saying all the right things in his Instagram farewell like the pro he is.
That’s all speculation, of course, and I doubt we’ll ever get a definitive answer. For now, all I can do is wish Tariq Lamptey the best of luck going forward. Hopefully he enjoyed his months in Florence as much as possible and he lands on his feet elsewhere, shakes the bad injury luck that’s dogged him for years, and reaches the levels he’s hit in the past.
