We haven’t checked in with the Fiorentina loanees this year, which is on me. I’ll try to get one of these up every month or so. To make it more consumable, I’ve decided to stop breaking it up by Serie A, Serie B, and foreign leagues, instead combining all the guys who I think could have a Viola future into the same story. Feel free to suggest additions or subtractions in the comments. Anyways, let’s see what the boys are up to.
Lorenzo Amatucci (Las Palmas)
The 21-year-old midfielder has started every game for las Canarias and
has already made quite an impression. His only contribution on the score sheet is an assist against Eibar in October, but his statistical output is remarkable, sitting near or at the top of several categories: fouls suffered (1st), fouls committed (3rd), and tackles (5th). That sort of all-action profile bodes well for his jump to a higher level than the Spanish second division, but that’s no surprise; we’ve all been high on Amatucci at least since the summer, if not longer. What stands out to me is Las Palmas president Miguel Ángel Ramírez insisting that there’s no purchase clause in the youngster’s contract, despite reports describing it as a purchase option with a buyback.
Stats: 15 appearances (15 starts), 1 assist
Lucas Beltrán (Valencia)
El Vikingo finally got off the mark yesterday for los Ches, albeit in the Copa del Rey with a typically scruffy finish after a goalkeeping error. He’s good for one of these a year, seems like, and it’s good to know that’s a portable skill.
Unfortunately, it also seems like this is the only way he scores. It’s been a tough season for los Murciélagos, who find themselves just 2 points outside the drop zone. Beltrán’s been unable to push past Hugo Duro as the striker, and that’s the primary issue: as we all know by now, he’s just not a prima punta and never will be. Beltrán’s on a dry loan so he’ll be back next summer, although Fiorentina will probably be trying to get him (and his contract, which runs until 2028) off the books one way or another.
Stats: 12 appearances (6 starts), 1 goal.
Alessandro Bianco (PAOK)
Al White—who’s somehow 23 years old, not 19—has slowly started shouldering his way into PAOK’s lineup, although he’s still squarely second choice, getting the bulk of his minutes in cup competitions and failing to go 90 minutes thus far. Still, he opened his account in the Superleague last month with a sumptuous finish to put the bow on a 0-5 destruction of Panserraikos.
4 days later, he doubled his tally with an emphatic finish to open the scoring in a 4-0 thrashing of Young Boys in the Europa League.
It’ll probably take an injury to Soualiho Meïte or Magomed Ozdoev for Bianco to become a regular starter but he’s doing all he can to ensure that he’s at least the first midfielder off the bench. He still gets himself booked too often but he’s made progress in that department. I haven’t been able to find any information about the option PAOK has on him but my expectation is the Greeks will trigger it. After all, you don’t do something this unhinged for someone who’ll be gone a year later.
Stats: 10 appearances (6 starts), 2 goals, 3 yellow cards
Maat Daniel Caprini (Mantova)
The 19-year-old’s had a tough time in his first fully professional season. Manager Davide Possanzini has handed him plenty of opportunities but the U20 international has yet to make a mark, failing to score or assist for the Virgiliani. Mantova’s got a young squad and hasn’t been great as a whole, so some of that is team context, but I’d like to see Caprini do a little more. Fiorentina’s reportedly still high on him and he’s under contract for another year after this, but I’m worried he’s about to hop on the loan treadmill.
Stats: 9 appearances (5 starts), 2 yellow cards
Filippo Distefano (Carrarese)
The 22-year-old attacker’s been making his way back from injury but made quite an impact off the bench in his first game for the Giallazurri, assisting Tomasso Rubino’s late equalizer and then scoring the winner deep into stoppage time himself.
Alas, he’s been relegated to the role of impact sub and hasn’t gotten off the bench for the past 2 games. I’ve been a Distefano fan for a long time but I’m worried that he’s stuck in limbo: not good enough to crack the Viola rotation but clearly ready for at least Serie B. Maybe, as he finds fitness, he’ll kick on, but these little spurts of positivity might be all he’ll be able to provide us.
Stats: 4 appearances (1 start), 1 goal, 1 assist
Jonas Harder (Padova)
The 20-year-old central midfielder is taking his first steps outside the Primavera and doing a rock solid job. He got his first goal as a pro back in September with a splendid drive to complete the comeback against Virtus Entella.
The Florence native has started the past 2 games for the Biancoscudati and might be elbowing his way into a more prominent job. Capable of playing as a regista, I think he fits better as a more box-to-box player, mostly because his energy impresses me more than his technical ability. He won’t be ready by next summer but remains one to keep an eye on.
Also, as a fun aside, Padova’s assembled a tremendous Let’s Remember Some Guys roster: Antonio Barreca, Paolo Ghiglione, Lorenzo Crisetig, Daniele Baselli, Papu Gómez, Kevin Lasagna…what a delight for those of us who are a certain age. What a delight.
Stats: 14 appearances (5 starts), 1 goal, 3 yellow cards
Lorenzo Lucchesi (Monza)
The 22-year-old centerback started the season as first choice but manager Paolo Bianco has since dropped him to the bench, although he keeps getting little cameos at the ends of games. I can’t blame Bianco, as Monza hasn’t lost since Lucchesi got benched and now leads Serie B. I don’t think that’s entirely fair on Lorenzo but them’s the breaks. The Biancorossi have an option to buy him that becomes an obligation if they get promoted, which they very well might do. I can’t find any numbers for how much Monza will owe Fiorentina if that happens but this feels like a case of a young player finding his level for now and then possibly building from it. I wish him nothing but the best.
Stats: 12 appearances (7 starts)
Matías Moreno (Levante)
The Argentina defender has already earned pleased ribbits from the Granote faithful for his blood-and-thunder approach and frightening commitment. This was his no-nonsense debut, and it’s been pretty much the same ever since.
Levante, of course, is second-last in la Liga (that Viola stink can be tough to rub off) but it’s not on our boy Mati. His attitude and physicality are excellent and his athleticism occasionally pops. His technical ability comes and goes alarmingly, and he’s still pretty raw in terms of reading the game and being in the right place, but I remain pretty high on him as a prospect. At the very least, he belongs in the top flight. Levante’s got a €12-15 million option on him and Fiorentina’s got a buyback clause in there too. Don’t rule him out for next year just yet; at bare minimum, he could do Pablo Marí‘s job.
Stats: 11 appearances (9 starts), 2 yellow cards
Tommaso Rubino (Carrarese)
Rubino, as mentioned earlier, opened his account back in October with a slightly unconvincing header courtesy of a looping Distefano cross. It was still a great moment, though.
He’s still stuck on one goal and remains mostly a bench option for Nicola Antonio Calabro. Primarily a winger or attacking midfielder, Rubino’s found it hard to find a home in his manager’s 3-5-2, mostly playing as a striker or mezzala. Neither quite suits him, but it’s good experience for a kid who only turned 19 last month and still has a couple jumps in quality left. The future’s still bright, is what I’m saying, even if Rubino doesn’t set the world alight this season.
Stats: 7 appearances (1 start), 1 goal, 1 yellow card
Riccardo Sottil (Lecce)
I wish I knew how to quit Ricky but I don’t. He’s had a very Sottil season thus far, making a few appearances off the bench before producing a lovely assist for Tiago Gabriel’s towering header.
2 weeks later and it was Ricky went from provider to finisher, albeit in a charmingly fluky way. No matter how it ends up in the net, though, it counts the same on the score sheet.
To complete the Sottil experience, though, he then missed the next 4 weeks with injury. Lecce feels like such a perfect place for him, given that Pantaleo Corvino’s known him for 15 years and Eusebio di Francesco’s system has always brought the best out of goal-scoring wingers. Am I talking myself into 2025-2026 being the year that Riccardo Sottil finally puts it all together and reaches his potential, becoming an indispensable piece for club and country? Listen, buddy, I am, and I’ve got like 5 years of FM saves to back me up. Thank goodness it’s a dry loan. (He’ll get loaned out again next year, obviously).
Stats: 8 appearances (4 starts), 1 goal, 1 assist
Nicolás Valentini (Hellas Verona)
Poor Valentini. He left the sinking ship of Fiorentina to board the only one heading downwards even more rapidly. He came in nursing a hamstring injury for the first month and has started to find his feet, but Verona’s a horrible team right now and whatever’s got the Mastini down has its claws firmly in Valentini too. He just hasn’t looked good. I don’t get it. He’s got all the tools but there’s always something going wrong. Hopefully he can steady himself (if not his team) and earn another look next year. I still prefer him to Mattia Viti as a player, for example, but the Viola brain trust clearly disagrees, having inserted a small but puzzling clause in his loan.
Stats: 6 appearances (5 starts), 1 yellow card
Tommaso Vannucchi (Pontedera)
It’s tough being Vanucchi. He grew up alongside future star Tommaso Martinelli in Fiorentina’s academy, constantly overshadowed by the Unimpressed Teen, and now he’s been benched after 4 games at Pontedera. Guy can’t catch a break. On the plus side, I think he’ll be fine. Just 18 and playing up a year with the Italy U19s, he’s had some good moments with the Azzurrini, and Pontedera just switched managers; with Valerio Biagini hurt, new boss Simone Banchieri’s brought Vannucchi back. The Granata are bad, boasting Serie C-B’s worst goals-against record, but that’s not on Tommaso. And hey, at least he’s getting plenty of chances to prove himself now, given how he’s being peppered with shots every game.
Stats: 5 appearances, 1 clean sheet, 9 goals conceded
