The international break is always a good time to check in on Fiorentina’s loanees, especially since it’s been nearly 2 months from the previous look. These are the games that most determine a player’s fate for the following season because everyone’s had time to find their feet and, as the season winds down, the stakes only increase. Some of these guys have a good chance to earn a role for the Viola next year with a strong conclusion to this season. The others are auditioning for their next employer.
Let’s see how they’re doing.
Lorenzo Amatucci (Las Palmas)
The 22-year-old midfield general is the first name on the team sheet for Luis García. He’s impressed fans and media alike with his consistently excellent play. He’s addressed the only weakness in his game last year—a penchant for yellow cards—and although he was suspended for the 3-1 loss at Eibar, that’s an acceptable number for a guy who’s played 2483 minutes this year. He hasn’t scored yet either but that doesn’t worry me as much, given that he’s usually the deepest midfielder and rarely gets close to goal. All things considered, it’s been another successful campaign, so much so that it’s worth wondering why he was sent all the way to the Canary Islands and the Spanish second division after impressing so much with Salernitana last time out.
Stats: 30 games (29 starts), 3 assists, 5 yellow cards
And next year?: Las Palmas has a €10 million option for him but Fiorentina retains a buy-back clause; my guess is that las Canarias will trigger it and the Viola will bring him in. There’s a gaping hole for someone who can run the game from deep in midfield (Nicolò Fagioli still doesn’t convince me there) and Amatucci looks like the guy we’d hoped Hans Nicolussi Caviglia would be. He’s got a better chance to break into the first team than anyone on this list and bears monitoring very closely.
Lucas Beltrán (Valencia)
Our favorite square-headed ginger attacker’s only scored once in the league and has a pretty low xG for a striker but he’ll never be prolific. He’s been good out of possession and industrious with the ball rather than incisive, so yeah, he’s still the same Vikingo we know and love. He did pick up a minor knee injury that knocked him out for 3 weeks but is working his way back to fitness and should be starting again soon as los Ches coast through the remainder of the season.
Stats: 26 games (16 starts), 3 goals, 2 assists, 1 yellow card
And next year?: Barring something wild, I can’t imagine Beltrán renewing his Viola career. There was a lot of interest in his services from Argentina last summer so a fee of €8 million (enough to cover his remaining transfer fee) should be enough. I’ll miss him, too. He always had a great attitude and was constantly miscast as a 9 but didn’t complain and I will die on the hill that he’s the perfect candidate to follow the Joelinton path as a striker-turned-all-action-midfielder but we’ll probably never know.
Alessandro Bianco (PAOK)
The 23-year-old remains firmly second choice in Rǎvzan Lucescu’s eyes but has at least earned a few more league starts, including 3 straight to start March. Although PAOK took 7 points from those games and went top of the table, Lucescu’s sent him back to the bench for the past couple outings. Bianco hasn’t scored since November and doesn’t look like he’ll get an opportunity to find a rhythm, especially with Greece international Christos Zafeiris finally joining the side from Slavia Praha in January.
Stats: 20 games (12 starts), 2 goals, 4 yellow cards
And next year?: While his €4 million option is pretty low, PAOK doesn’t seem convinced. The lack of playing time, the glut of midfielders, and the addition of Zafeiris are all good clues that Ale will be back in Florence over the summer. His contract runs out in 2027 so any sale will be at a discount. Were it up to me, I’d give him a shot as a rotational midfielder in a season that likely won’t have European competition, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Fabio Paratici sent him elsewhere.
Maat Daniel Caprini (Mantova)
The good news is that Caprini’s finally healthy. He missed nearly 2 months with injury and made his return at the start of March. The bad news is that, in his 4 appearances since (1 start, 3 off the bench), he’s yet to trouble the scoresheet, although he was a tad unlucky to have one chalked off for someone else’s offside against Cesena. Physically, he might be ready for Serie A but his decision-making has been uneven, as you you’d expect from someone who just turned 20 in February. I’d also be interested in seeing him in a team that uses him as an off-ball runner and has the talent to find him more often; team context makes evaluation difficult in Serie B.
Stats: 16 games (7 starts), 2 yellow cards
And next year?: As things stand, I don’t think he’s ready for the Franchi. Maybe he finds his footing over the final couple months but my guess is he’ll take another year at least in Serie B or maybe in the lower reaches of Serie A (and I don’t mean Fiorentina) before he can contribute effectively. That said, his contract’s up in 2027 so next year is crucial for him. I think he could well be a top flight player in the next 3 years so I hope Paratici extends him.
Filippo Distefano (Carrarese)
The 22-year-old attacker remains a bench option for Antonio Calabro and firmly behind Fabio Abiuso, Mattia Finotto, Niccolò Belloni, and Tommaso Rubino. It doesn’t help that he’s had some health issues but he hasn’t shown enough to earn a bigger role even as that group’s scored just 15 goals this year. From what I’ve seen, he lacks a bit of the zip and decisiveness that made him a star at Primavera level, which isn’t too surprising considering that he’s dealt with injuries for 2 straight years.
Stats: 16 games (2 starts), 1 assist, 1 yellow card
And next year?: His contract runs out in 2028 but I worry that he’s missed his chance. He’s clearly a Serie B-level attacker at worst and should have plenty of offers from second tier sides but I’d be very surprised if he troubled the first team any time soon. Maybe a fully healthy season will give him a chance to find his form but he’s off the radar until further notice.
Jonas Harder (Padova)
The 20-year-old midfielder enjoyed a solid February, consolidating his starting berth, but went down injured just 5 minutes into last month’s game at Modena. Manager Matteo Andreolotti implied it was a short-term issue but Harder’s been out since. I assume he’ll be ready again soon since he hasn’t been recalled to the RBCVP etc but he’ll have to find form and fitness while impressing new manager Roberto Breda, who took over last week.
Stats: 25 games (16 starts), 1 goal, 6 yellow cards
And next year?: He’ll probably get a major role back once he’s healthy but I’m not sure there’s much he can do to convince the Viola brass to give him more than some training camp minutes. He’s very young and needs more seasoning.
Lorenzo Lucchesi (Monza)
The big defender has forced his way into Paolo Bianco’s circle of trust, starting 4 of the past 5 games for the Brianzoli and helping them to the 2nd-best defensive record in Serie B. He’s got excellent physical gifts and surprisingly good technique that allows him to fit as part of a back 4 or a back 3. He’s also left-footed, which adds a bit of versatility as well. This is his 3rd straight successful season in the second tier so he’s clearly demonstrated that this is his floor, and his ceiling could be considerably higher.
Stats: 25 games (13 starts), 3 yellow cards
And next year?: I’m not sure but I think that he’s played enough games to trigger Monza’s €2.5 million obligation, although promotion to Serie A might be part of the equation too. Regardless, his contract’s up in June so he’ll be moving on. The Viola will get 50% of his next transfer fee if he sticks at the Brianteo but I worry that he could end up being good enough to make us regret it. He’s exceeded expectations at every stop and looks like a surefire Serie A player for the next decade or more.
Tommas Martinelli (Sampdoria)
David de Gea’s heir apparent missed a couple weeks with a hamstring issue last month but has been back between the sticks and doing well for the Blucerchiati. He’s still a bit uncomfortable coming off his line at corners and his communication with his defenders needs to improve but those are the qualities that experience fixes. As a shot-stopper, he’s already quite good. Samp’s averaged 1.4 points per game with him in goal as opposed to 0.91 without, including 1.1 goals conceded with versus 1.7 without. I’ve only watched a couple complete matches but it seems like the Ligurians are constantly under pressure and rely on Martinelli quite a bit.
Stats: 10 starts, 2 yellow cards, 11 goals conceded, 4 clean sheets
And next year?: Samp’s not safe from the drop yet but the rest of the season is gravy for Martinelli. He’s proven that he is, at worst, a Serie B goalkeeper despite turning 20 a couple months ago. Unless a suitor emerges for David de Gea, Martinelli will probably take a season on loan in Serie A and then compete for the starting role in 2027-2028. I remain convinced that he’ll be an above-average top flight goalkeeper with a ceiling that’s even higher than that.
Matías Moreno (Levante)
The big defender managed to avoid any lasting damage after his frightening collision with Alexander Sørloth last month, missing just a single game and starting 6 of the past 8 for the Granotes, who’ve grabbed nearly a third of their points over their past 4 outings. I haven’t seen a ton of their games but Moreno’s looked like one of Levante’s better players. He’s very big, very strong, and very fearless, which we all knew. His timing in the tackle is good and he’s prone to getting a little over his skis when bringing the ball forward but for a 22-year-old getting his first campaign as a starter in Europe, he’s been quite good.
Stats: 20 games (18 starts), 5 yellow cards
And next year?: Levante has a €12 million option to buy him and that makes me nervous. The Valencians haven’t ever spent that much on a player (their highest fee paid in the past 5 years is €3 million) but if another team’s interested, Levante could make some quick cash by triggering the option and raising his price a bit. These are the sorts of circumstances in which shenanigans occur. If they don’t, though, he should have a job in Florence next year as the 4th defender. I really like him.
Tommaso Rubino (Carrarese)
Rubino hasn’t set the world alight but has carved out a regular role for a mid-table team in the second division, which is encouraging. I think he’s slightly miscast as a striker in Calabro’s 3-5-2, even when he’s got classic (read: robust) Serie B strikers in Abiuso and Finotto to play off; to me, he looks more like a winger or wide forward than a central player. Much like Caprini, his decision-making with the ball hasn’t been great, which is what you expect from someone who turned 19 during the season.
Stats: 22 games (11 starts), 2 goals, 4 yellow cards
And next year?: Much like Caprini, I think his lack of production might be more about team context than individual talent, although I think he lacks his former teammate’s physicality at this point. Still, I’d be surprised if he made the jump to Serie A this summer. He’s got plenty of talent and just needs time to put it together, so another loan year looks the likeliest option to me.
Simon Sohm (Bologna)
The Swiss midfielder has found a bit of form for the Oscar Mayers. He hasn’t looked world class but that’s not what his game is about. He’s run and pressed and harried enough to earn Vincenzo Italiano’s trust but his technical limitations are still apparent. Still, he should get plenty of burn over these final months, especially as Bologna deals with some midfield injuries and Italiano chops and changes as he always does.
Stats: 8 games (5 starts), 1 yellow card
And next year?: I hope that Sohm’s shown enough that Bologna will pay the €15 million option. That seems a touch high to me and I wouldn’t be shocked if Giovanni Sartori and Marco di Vaio negotiated it to something lower. I have to think Fiorentina would happily accept that although Paratici might be willing to give Sohm a fresh chance in the summer if no agreement is reached.
Riccardo Sottil (Lecce)
For what feels like the 25th consecutive year, it’s just not happening for Ricky. He had some bright moments early in the season, got hurt, and hasn’t recovered his form. Sure, Lecce’s bad so the team context doesn’t help him, but more of it’s just who Ricky is. Eusebio di Francesco, who relies on wingers as much as any manager in Italy, seems to have given up too, benching Sottil for a couple straight games. Now he’s out with a back injury and quite frankly, I wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t play the rest of the way.
Stats: 21 games (13 starts), 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 yellow card
And next year?: Lecce doesn’t have an option for him and probably wouldn’t trigger it if there was one available; maybe Pantaleo Corvino knew what he was doing. Ricky’s contract runs until 2027 so he’ll be back in Florence this summer and maybe he’ll get some burn in preseason under a new coaching regime but he’s probably heading for another move away and maybe even a contract buyout. And even so, I’ll convince myself that 2026-2027 is the season he finally puts it all together because I am an idiot.
Nicolás Valentini (Hellas Verona)
Like everyone else at Verona, Valentini’s had a rough time this season. He’s coming off his third hamstring issue of the year, missing another 3 games, and has only just worked his way back into the XI. I still think he could be a good defender but it’s impossible to tell in this putrid Gialloblù defense. He’s had some mental lapses that are a cause for concern but would also make him a seamless fit in Fiorentina’s back line over the first half of the season, so who knows? I think he’s a Serie A quality player but probably not more than an average one.
Stats: 16 games(11 starts), 3 yellow cards
And next year?: Verona’s got a €4 million option on him that I assume it’ll trigger regardless of relegation, although it’ll have to convince Valentini himself that Serie B is worth his time. I’d also guess that any deal would require Fiorentina to pay a portion of his salary but it’d probably be worth it. He’s not wearing the Viola strip again unless something truly wild happens and getting him off the books should be a priority.
