An 8-point head start from relegation with 5 games is a bit too slim to start popping the prosecco but nevertheless, everyone’s thoughts are turning to the summer. New DS Fabio Paratici mentioned a couple days ago that the roster will be “thinned out,” which makes sense. Fiorentina won’t be competing on the continent next year and thus won’t need the squad depth for a 3-front campaign. Naturally, the narrative has turned to which players could stay or go, which is a pointless conversation because
everyone should be on the market. Right, Gary?
That’s not to say that the entire roster needs to be sold. Despite the historic underperformance to start the season, there’s obviously still a ton of talent on the team. This isn’t FIFA. Paratici can’t just sign a whole new team and save scum his way back into Europe. He’ll keep a fair number of the current guys around. Some of them, in fact, he’ll have to keep. But let’s look at the 27 senior players currently on the roster and some of the top returning loanees and break them into 4 categories. I’m ignoring Niccolò Fortini and Eddy Kouadio, by the way, since they’re probably going to be loaned out regardless.
My hands are tied
Marco Brescianini: A €12 million mandatory option if Fiorentina stays up is fine for a proven Serie A talent. At worst, he’s acceptable squad depth on a reasonable contract.
Giovanni Fabbian: His mandatory fee is €15 million, which feels steep for a guy who’s shown next to nothing this year. At least his salary’s low and there’s still a chance that he comes good in the right circumstances.
Roberto Piccoli: It’s not Bobby Smalls’ fault that his transfer fee was €25 million but it does mean that he’ll be on the books for at least another couple years. Maybe he finds a loan move somewhere else. Maybe.
Daniele Rugani: Not as bad as he showed at Udinese and for €2.5 million, he’s probably adequate depth, although I’d rather see him leading from the dugout than on the pitch.
Yeah, sure, whatever
Lucas Beltrán: El Vikingo is who he is at this point (a limited but useful player) and there’s been noise about interest from South America so my guess is he’ll return to River Plate for about €6 million.
Alessandro Bianco: PAOK probably won’t pick up his option so he’ll be back for a final season before his contract runs out. There’s some ability there but he hasn’t developed and a minimal sale with a buy-back is probably the best outcome, although maybe he stays to make up the homegrown quotient.
Oliver Christensen: With Abdelhamid Sabiri becoming a free agent in June, Ollie becomes the top candidate for a contract buyout.
Jacopo Fazzini: I’m not out on him for the long-term but he seems like a guy who might put it together elsewhere. His performance this year has depressed his value so it might be a loan, at least initially.
Albert Guðmundsson: He’s expensive, ineffective, and irritating. He’s also mentioned the interest he garnered from bigger clubs before joining Fiorentina; maybe one of them will do us all a favor.
Tariq Lamptey: He’s a good player when fit, but he’s never fit. Maybe a Championship club will roll the dice on him but the only way Lamptey departs is if Fiorentina eats a loss on him.
Luca Lezzerini: Fiorentina has a 2-year option on him and will trigger it if there’s any question about fulfilling the academy-trained player requirements. Otherwise, he’s gone.
Marin Pongračić: He’s had a solid month at the exact right time. Maybe yet another club will convince itself that he’s toolsy enough to gamble on. For €10 million, I think it’s a done deal.
Simon Sohm: I doubt Bologna will buy him for €15 million without European competition in 2026-2027 so he’s about to be a Viola problem again. A fresh start might help him but Vincenzo Italiano might’ve helped him recoup enough value to sell, too.
Nicolás Valentini: He’s been treated a bit shabbily but he’s also probably not up to snuff. Hellas Verona has an opportunity for a decent discount here.
I’m picking up the phone but it’ll cost you
Lorenzo Amatucci: Academy-trained and excellent in 2 straight second-tier loan spells, Amatucci ought to have a backup job at bare minimum unless someone looks at his numbers and makes a big offer.
Maat Daniel Caprini: He hasn’t set the world alight in Serie B by any stretch but the ceiling’s there and he’s very young.
Pietro Comuzzo: Last year was a best-case scenario and this year is the worst. I think the market over-corrected on him; his upside doesn’t intersect with the amount he’d earn the club by a sale.
Robin Gosens: I love the Goose but he’s lost a step and really struggles to keep up with opposing wingers. If someone comes in with any kind of offer, Paratici might accept to get the 3rd-highest salary off the books.
Rolando Mandragora: The Mandrake hasn’t hit the heights he did last year but at 28, he’s got plenty left in the tank. I’d be happy seeing him stick around but €10 million might be too much to resist.
Tommaso Martinelli: His future hinges on a certain Spaniard’s. Ideally, Martinelli would get a final loan move to the lower reaches of Serie A and then win the job in 2027-2028 but the world is often far from ideal and Paratici won’t have any attachment to a local kid come good.
Matías Moreno: He’s been pretty good at Levante and looks the part of a modern defender. I wouldn’t be shocked if an English club threw €15 million down for him but barring that, he could be a great rotational option with the potential for more.
Cher Ndour: I think he’s Fiorentina’s best midfielder right now and his trajectory points upwards, unlike many of his teammates’. It would take a significant fee (€20 million? More?) to pry him away.
Fabiano Parisi: His move to winger makes him tough to evaluate but Marco Giuffredi’s never slow to push his clients elsewhere if he senses an opportunity and Parisi’s earned some fans with his work this year.
Luca Ranieri: Also a Giuffredi client but one who clearly loves the club and helps with the registration rules. His future’s finely balanced and could tip either way.
Tommaso Rubino: Like Caprini, it’s been a bumpy ride in Serie B but I think the bumps will be worth it down the line.
Hey wait, he’s actually good
David de Gea: He’s found his feet after a wobble but he’s getting on in years, earns a huge wage, and has some obvious flaws in his game. He’s probably got one more year as the unquestioned starter before Tommaso Martinelli really challenges him.
Dodô: The failure to lock him down to a new contract for the past couple years is looking expensive now. With just a year left, it’d probably only take €15 million to get a dynamic rightback who’s been called up by Brazil.
Nicolò Fagioli: He’s been the standout this year but to my eye, his penchant for mistakes and coasting mean he probably won’t look as good in a more functional team. If someone’s ready to make a serious (read: €20 million) offer, I wouldn’t be even a bit upset.
Moise Kean: He’s got a €62 million release clause but my guess is he’ll go for closer to €40 million. Paratici’s not afraid to sell a star in order to fund a mercato and the Moose is Fiorentina’s most valuable asset.
In summary
Your mileage may vary on these assessments. Paratici’s will too. But I only see 9 guys who I’m pretty (>50%) sure will be on the roster next year: Brescianini, Comuzzo, de Gea, Lezzerini, Fabbian, Moreno, Ndour, Ranieri, and Rugani. The rest aren’t necessarily slated to be sold—Caprini, Fortini, Kouadio, Martinelli, and Rubino will almost certainly get developmental loans—but none of their departures would surprise me very much.
To me, the real question is how willing to tear this thing down to the studs Paratici is. If he decides to strip it and rebuild, we could be in for the busiest summer transfer window I’ve ever seen. I doubt he’ll go quite that far but would it be a shock if he weeded out fully half the senior squad? I don’t think so.
