Fiorentina

The reinvention of Giuseppe Rossi has been one of the most remarkable stories in all of sport.

After suffering two catastrophic knee injuries which kept him out of the game for nearly two years, the American-born striker Giuseppe Rossi has had a fairy-tale comeback with Fiorentina—the team that decided to take a chance on him when they signed him from Villarreal in the last January transfer window.

The striker has battled the latest torn anterior cruciate ligament injury to his knee and has come back in stunning fashion.

Rossi has been astoundingly prolific, scoring 12 goals in the first 14 games of the season in Serie A. It's no surprise that he's the current Capocannoniere, having netted more strikes than anyone else in the league.

It seems that the Italian international has found the perfect system that's ideally suited to his skillset. When Mario Gomez comes back from injury, he'll be even more effective as he'll be able to play off of the hulking German.

Rossi is perfect for Viola coach Vincenzo Montella's highly offensive 4-3-3 formation, where he can be slotted as a right winger where he's able to cut the ball onto his fantastic left foot. 

Fiorentina has a Barcelona-esque possession quality about them, which also helps Rossi as he's surrounded by playmakers in the midfield. Any one of the three men in the center—Borja Valero, Alberto Aquilani and David Pizarro—are able to play the perfect surging pass to find Rossi in space.

Since Gomez's injury, Rossi has had to play as a lone striker up front and has succeeded despite playing out of position. Gomez is expected to be fully fit within weeks, so don't be surprised if the Viola finally make it to the top three in the Serie A standings.

Rossi's prolific strike rate in front of goal was highlighted in the 4-2 win against Juventus, when Rossi led the comeback by scoring a hat-trick against their bitter rivals this season. The match showed Europe that Fiorentina is for real, and they can go toe-to-toe against the fiercest of opposition.

Adding to the feel-good story, Italian national team coach Cesare Prandelli has started calling him up again, where he has partnered Mario Balotelli in the attack.

The partnership between Rossi and Balotelli has the potential to be one of the best in the world, as both are highly technical and great finishers from outside the box and both have a creative instinct. 

If all goes well, expect this to be one of the most high-powered Italian offenses that we've seen in a long time.

Assuming Pepito can stay injury free, he will spearhead the Azzurri throughout the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, giving them yet another multidimensional force up front who can change the tide of the game with one moment of unbridled brilliance.

One can only hope that Rossi can remain injury free now after suffering through so much hardship. However, his drive and demeanor has been the most impressive characteristic, far more than his technical left foot.

With an injury that can effectively end the career of some players, Rossi made it his mission to come back even better than before.

Fiorentina were left heartbroken on the final day of last season, when Milan cruelly denied them a much-earned Champions League spot with their late comeback against Siena.

The Viola regrouped this summer, but the subsequent sale of star striker Stevan Jovetic appeared to hamper Vincenzo Montella's prospects of replicating last season's success.

But with Giuseppe Rossi's injuries appearing to clear up and some excellent business in reinvesting the Jovetic fee received from Manchester City, the Viola could go one step further this season.

Despite a superior squad that includes former Bayern striker Mario Gomez, the Florence side's greatest strength is perhaps their innovative young manager, Montella.

"L'Aeroplanino" successfully utilised a 3-5-2 formation in his debut season in Tuscany, but with added funds to sculpt his squad, the side is evolving a little differently this season.

The magic trio of centre-midfielders from last season—David Pizarro, Alberto Aquilani and Borja Valero—remain intact, but the tactics and personnel around them have been tweaked to add greater diversity to the Viola's game.

On a visit to Florence last week, I met with staff at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, who provided some insight into how president Andrea Della Valle has worked closely with the Mister to develop the side during the summer.

Montella has expanded his tactical repertoire by signing a centre-midfielder with quite different characteristics to those usually associated with his team.

Veteran Massimo Ambrosini arrived from Milan, and his destructive qualities have helped to protect the more beautiful players at the heart of the side, seemingly decreasing the amount of time between losing and reclaiming possession.

With no intention of dropping one of the aforementioned magic trio, Montella has swapped formations at times this season, with a "Christmas tree" system allowing the integration of the 36-year-old by pushing Valero a little further forward, tucked in behind Giuseppe Rossi.

Montella's selection dilemma will become even greater when Gomez returns from injury, but the diversity in his tactics mean that the side will undoubtedly be superior as a result of this additional option.

If Montella maintains the four centre-midfielders and, as expected, Pepito and Gomez start, the options will be more limited.

Wide options Manuel Pasqual and Juan Cuadrado would need to be forced into a back four, which would give you an extremely attacking side.

With the ability of this team to maintain possession, that is an option, but with Ambrosini's inability to play back-to-back games, Montella's willingness to change will be ideal for this squad.

The other consideration will be whether to use traditional width, or to replicate the way in which the side played during the second half against Juventus last weekend.

Pasqual was brought back into a back four, and Cuadrado was switched to the left flank to operate as an inverted winger, with Joaquin deployed on the opposite side of the pitch.

The Spaniard offered a duel threat from the wide areas, as Pasqual tends to sit a little deeper than Cuadrado, with less tendency to gallop forward into the final third.

So Fiorentina were transformed into almost a 4-3-3 system, and with the greater fluidity from the addition of Matias Fernandez after Ambrosini's injury in the first half, the home side created waves after wave of attack.

It is something that Fiorentina should focus on more moving forward, as without wide options who are willing to carry the ball with pace and vigour, the opposition can force Montella's men to play through the middle, with the play becoming somewhat congested and therefore predictable.

As discussed last week on location, Della Valle's appointment of Montella was a brave one, with the manager keen to explore tactical variations that were untested to an extent in Serie A.

Moreover, his influence on their strategy in the transfer market has proven ambitious, which means even more credit should be awarded to the president. Such influence on footballing matters, both on and off the pitch, is rare in Italy, and by swerving away from the norm, Fiorentina have pushed their way to the forefront of innovation in Serie A.

It is an exciting project that Montella is fronting, and although more prestigious jobs will come his way, perhaps with greater financial reward, the former Catania coach should be wary of the lack of freedom he would experience at other clubs.

It has been an excellent season-and-a-half thus far for the Montella project, but with such a burgeoning manager, it is apparent that Fiorentina are not close to evolving fully into the side the manager has envisaged.

Follow @jackrathborn

Despite playing some of the best football in Italy last season at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Fiorentina's campaign was defined by that heartbreak in Siena.

The Viola claimed that they were never striving for a Champions League place and that, by finishing fourth—obtaining a Europa League place in the process—Vincenzo Montella had overachieved with a side that had only narrowly beat off relegation a year earlier. 

Having come minutes away from beating Milan to that much-coveted third place, the Viola had to watch on, helpless, as the Rossoneri came from behind to snatch that much-coveted third spot.

The implications were massive, but Fiorentina have managed to embrace the inevitable departure of their best player, Stevan Jovetic.

The Montenegrin departed for Manchester City in a deal that could eventually be worth as much as £28 million according to the Daily Mail, which seems small change when you consider the money that Napoli managed to squeeze out of Paris Saint-German for their star striker Edinson Cavani.

Jojo might not be in El Matador's class just yet, but he is pretty close and certainly better than the disparity in the two transfer fees might suggest, but the Viola arguably made better use of their cash in the mercato than the Partenopei—even if Rafael Benitez will be pleased with the Partenopei's business too.

One positive that has been understated this summer is maintaining L'Aeroplanino as their manager. After three clubs in as many seasons, Montella remained loyal to the cause and has set the ambitious target of reaching the Champions League.

The Viola made a profit this summer, bringing in revenue from the sales of Adem Ljajic and Haris Seferovic on top of that of Jovetic.

Purchases included Mario Gomez, Josip Ilicic, Joaquin, Massimo Ambrosini, Juan Cuadrado on a permanent basis and young starlets Ante Rebic and Marko Bakic.

While Milan might have made a last ditch swoop for Kaka, Fiorentina remain a more rounded squad who should feel comfortable enough in their initial target of usurping the Rossoneri into third place.

Now the question is whether Montella can exceed all expectations and challenge Napoli and even Juventus, who will both have Champions League matches to juggle with their domestic schedule.

While Montella's men have the Europa League, unquestionably that competition will be used as merely a way of providing fringe players with extra minutes on the field, so it should not hurt their charge in the league.

It remains a push to expect Montella to sustain a title challenge, but do not bet against Fiorentina being a factor, especially given the tumultuous changes in Naples, which could see some teething problems, especially once European football kicks into play.

Outside of the Old Lady, Fiorentina are the most settled group, with a positive footballing philosophy that will not leave them wondering as to whether they might have been able to make a title tilt.

With tactical versatility to be able to switch between systems with a back three and a back four, we can expect Fiorentina to be able to handle all opponents this season.

The purchases of Joaquin and the renaissance of Giuseppe Rossi ought to be able to maintain a wide threat when Montella opts to use Cuadrado and Manuel Pasqual as full-backs.

With such a vast number of tactical options on display in Italian football, Montella has even experimented with a diamond formation in order to maintain last season's magical trio of centre-midfielders—Borja Valero, David Pizarro and Alberto Aquilani—as well as accommodating the experienced war horse Ambrosini.

The heart of the defence and the ongoing goalkeeping dilemma remain issues that will concern Montella though.

But Gonzalo Rodriguez remains one of Serie A's top defenders, and there is the possibility that an ever-improving Stefan Savic, at 22 years old, brings his game to a new level this season with more regular minutes on the pitch.

Facundo Roncaglia started his career in Italian football magnificently, but his form tailed off towards the end of the season. If the Argentine can rediscover that form then Fiorentina should be well set, but if the former Boca star continues to struggle, it may be the side's downfall, as neither Nenad Tomovic or Marvin Compper appear good enough to seize that third place in the back three on a regular basis.

The young Brazilian goalkeeper Neto has confidence issues, but like Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny, the raw tools are there to blossom into a fine stopper if the club show him enough faith, which appears to be the case.

Despite these deficiencies at the back, I hold out hope that Fiorentina can indeed hold onto the tails of Juve, at least until the Christmas break. With firepower like Rossi and Gomez, who have already scored five times between them, the Viola will be able to win an awful lot of games.

Their pass-and-move style of football will fashion an abundance of opportunities in front of goal, and that pairing will put them away on a far more regular basis that Jovetic or Ljajic would have done.

Juve are clearly the team to beat, but Fiorentina have quietly assembled a side with enough quality to potentially be their closest rival, which makes Florence one of European football's must-see destinations this season.

Fiorentina signing Josip Ilicic, a Liverpool transfer target, from Palermo not only reinforces the Viola's squad depth but it gives the 25-year-old Slovenian international another opportunity to become Serie A's next big superstar. 

If not for a chance UEFA Europa League meeting against Palermo as a member of Maribor, Ilicic may have been stashed away from playing in an elite European league during his prime like Włodzimierz Lubański, Vasilis Hatzipanagis, Oktay Derelioglu, et al.

Ilicic, a 6'3" deep-lying forward, possesses a Robin van Persie-like touch and is blessed with Rivaldo-esque creativity. But until last season, the Slovenian underachieved for Palermo, a club that will be playing Serie B football this season under the management of Gennaro Gattuso. 

Ilicic is a virtuoso, an entertainer, a player that people want to watch, just like the previous owner of the No. 27 Palermo shirt—his former teammate Javier Pastore.

Five minutes into the second half during a 3-1 win over Sampdoria in April, Ilicic finally accomplished what he threatens to do every match: a solo golazo. 

Ilicic did a Cruyff turn, shrugged off Gianni Munari's challenge, perfectly executed the Pelé runaround move on Pedro Obiang, evaded Angelo Palombo's lunging tackle, and achieved football's equivalent to an ankle-breaker on Daniele Gastaldello. This was all before slotting the ball past Sergio Romero with a right-footed finish—not bad for a predominately left-footed player. 

Nine seconds earlier, Ilicic had his back to goal near the halfway line. 

Even in his best season for Palermo, where he resurrected his career akin to Adem Ljajić at Fiorentina, there were plenty of faults in Ilicic's game. 

• Wasteful shooting: 10 goals from 90 shots in Serie A.

• Very low assist-to-passes ratio: created two goals from 1,143 passes [1]

• Led Palermo in possession lost and turnovers. 

• Didn't score or provide an assist in four league games vs. Juventus and AC Milan.

[1] in fairness, Jasmin Kurtic (no goals from 53 shots) and Edgar Barreto (no goals from 32 shots) would have contributed to Ilicic having a more selfish mentality. 

Ilicic's decision, one that may have not eventuated if Stevan Jovetić wasn't sold to Manchester City, to become a Fiorentina player will give him the stability that wasn't afforded to him at Palermo. 

"Cavani is an exceptional player but he wanted to leave Palermo, otherwise I would have kept him," said Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini in 2010, via Football Italia. "Ilicic has arrived in his place."

Edinson Cavani doubled his goal-scoring output for Napoli and was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €64 million.

What do Delio Rossi, Gian Piero Gasperini, Bortolo Mutti, Devis Mangia, Giuseppe Sannino, Serse Cosmi, Stefano Pioli and Alberto Malesani have in common?

They all coached Ilicic whilst living in fear of Zamparini whereas Fiorentina have given manager Vincenzo Montella a squad that have made the Violas relevant. 

• Mario Gómez: German international who scored 39 and 41 goals during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 season for Bayern Munich. 

• Borja Valero: A former Real Madrid player who plays like a Barcelona player. As the midfield conductor for Fiorentina, he had an 88.4 passing completion percentage and led the club in league assists (11). 

• Juan Guillermo Cuadrado: Pacey wingback building a reputation as one of the most lethal players in Europe. He almost doubled (3.3) Cristiano Ronaldo's dribbles per league game averaged (1.7). 

• Giuseppe Rossi: Elite striker at Villarreal, who proved his critics wrong after failing to make it at Manchester United, only to have his career threatened by successive cruciate ligament injuries.

• Alberto Aquilani: Would have become one of the best midfielders in the world if not for his recurring injuries. Earlier this month, his agent stated how happy Aquilani was, via Football Italia: "The future? I hope that it will be with La Viola for a long time, he has found a place full of satisfaction and he is not going to go away."

• Massimo Ambrosini: Stalwart for AC Milan who'll add professionalism and grit in midfield. His 3.2 tackles per league game and 5.8 in the UEFA Champions League show age hasn't slowed down his defensive productivity. 

• Joaquín: Played over 50 times for Spain during the early-mid 2000s. Experienced midfielder who'll quickly adjust to life in Florence with the help of countrymen Valero and Marcos Alonso, as well as the Spanish-speaking clique at the club. 

What makes this Fiorentina side special isn't that they have world-class players, in fact, most of these players were discards at Europe's most prestigious clubs. 

It's the style Montella has the Violas playing: flowing, possession-based, creative attacking football with an adequate defensive system to fall back on (Fiorentina had the fifth-best defensive record in last season's Serie A).

This is the type of environment Ilicic will thrive in. 

You may have noticed that Ljajić and David Pizarro weren't included in the aforementioned list.

Like Pizarro, who's a more important player than Ljajić in Montella's 3-5-2, the futures of both players still remain unsolved. 

It's in Ilicic's best interest that Ljajić, who had three dreadful seasons at the club before a resurgence last season, leaves. 

In a 3-5-2, the two strikers on paper would be Gómez and Rossi, unless one of the two (probably the American-born Italian) is relegated to the bench, enabling Ilicic to play behind Gómez in what will, strictly speaking, be a 3-5-1-1. 

Montella's other mode of operation, a 4-3-3, will likely see Ilicic as an inside-out right-sided forward, cutting in and shooting.

One major problem: Cuadrado was dynamite on the right-side. 

You always hope that a footballer of Ilicic's immense ability will take that next step up, like Jovetić did, but those who've followed the careers of Matías Fernández, currently a Viola, and his compatriot Jorge Valdívia, will speak of frustratingly inconsistent players. 

Fiorentina supporters know first hand about that. 

Diego Latorre was technically superior than his Boca Juniors teammate Gabriel Batistuta, who was only discovered when then-Viola vice president Vittorio Cecchi Gori was watching film footage of Latorre, at the time proclaimed to be the successor to Diego Maradona's throne, never lived up to the hype. 

Then there was Valeri Bojinov, projected to reach the heights of Hristo Stoichkov; and Brian Laudrup, the little brother of Michael, who later found solace in the Scottish Premier League with Rangers. 

Ilicic has world-class technique, but that won't guarantee he'll be a superstar on a Fiorentina team that is expected to finish in the top three of the upcoming Serie A campaign. 

+allanjiang

Follow @allanjiangLIVE

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, Fox Soccer and Squawka.com

Josip Ilicic is set for a transfer from Palermo to Fiorentina, according to various media reports. And as the Tuscan club already knows from personal experience, Ilicic is more than capable of producing the spectacular.

Ilicic, a Slovenia international attacking midfielder, had been linked with Fiorentina since the end of the last Serie A season, when Palermo was relegated. Ilicic, 25, scored 10 league goals in 31 appearances a year ago.

Here's more on the deal from the Associated Press, via the New Zealand Herald:

The Tuscan club announced the news on Tuesday, although the deal is subject to a medical, which will take place within the next 24 hours.

…

Fiorentina has paid a reported 9 million euros ($12 million) plus bonuses for Ilicic, who scored 11 goals in 32 matches for Palermo last season.

Fiorentina already know what Ilicic is capable of on the pitch. In an October 2010 match, he scored a dazzling golazo for Palermo against Fiorentina, his future employers. The goal, a swerving, long-distance effort, was the opener in a 2-1 win for Palermo (Javier Pastore also scored for the Rosanero that day).

The strike appears in the video above for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Ilicic is just the latest arrival in what has been a busy summer for Fiorentina, who finished fourth in Serie A last season. Montenegrin forward Stevan Jovetic left for Manchester City, and Mario Gomez signed from Bayern Munich. Other arrivals include Joaquin, Marcos Alonso and Massimo Ambrosini.

And that might not be all. Club co-owner Andrea Della Valle has promised more, per Football Italia.

“Ilicic will arrive and the surprises aren’t over yet,” Della Valle told fans at their preseason training camp in Moena. “We will reinforce the midfield and make this team even stronger.”

Follow @MikeCummings37

Why might Fiorentina be the dark horse of the Europa League and Serie A this upcoming season? The answer is simple. They've got a great squad already reinforced with Mario Gomez and Giuseppe Rossi, and a great manager in Vincenzo Montella. 

Although Fiorentina controversially missed out on a spot in the Champions League to Milan on the last day of the past season, the Viola have not lost any momentum since.

2012/13 was truly a year of revival for the club, thanks to some savvy work on the market. Sporting Director Daniele Prade's new signings Luca Toni, Alberto Aquilani, Borja Valero and Juan Cuadrado all made an immediate impact on the pitch. Together they contributed 21 goals and 26 assists. 

But the greatest praise must go to Montella, who found the right formula for an extremely talented squad, even bringing the testy Adem Ljajic and often-injured Stevan Jovetic to their full potential. Without a doubt, under Montella, Fiorentina played some of the most spectacular football in Italy, and were ultimately rewarded for their efforts with a place in the Europa League.   

In an example Montella's attack-minded tactics, take a look at all of Fiorentina's goals last season in the video to the right. 

It's not an easy task to build on the 21 wins and 72 goals scored last season, but Fiorentina are already well under way in the creation of a squad worthy of again challenging for a Champions League spot. But, beyond this, there is no reason why we shouldn't see Fiorentina going deep in the Europa League. 

Daniele Prade has again been hard at work. This time around, he pulled off the impressive transfer of former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez, as Football Italia reports. 

Mario Gomez's move to Fiorentina has been announced on Bayern Munich's official website http://t.co/NMaGy08t6g

— footballitalia (@footballitalia) July 8, 2013

Initially, Prade stated that Gomez would be too expensive for the club, as Goal.com reports. However, he now seems content despite knowing that it will take the club four years to pay the fee of about €15.5 million, as News.am reports.

As Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian notes, Fiorentina saw something in the striker that the rest of Europe seems to have ignored, and this will no doubt pay dividends for the Viola. 

Last season at Bayern was his "least successful," yet he still managed 10 great goals out of 19 total in addition to winning the treble.

Plus, don't forget that Gomez is still in his prime, having just turned 28. It's definitely an investment that can pay off over the next five years or so if all goes according to plan.   

The recent success of German strikers in Italy is not unfounded, and Prade has done well to drop the cash on Gomez. A certain Miroslav Klose comes immediately to mind, who after being discarded by Bayern, has since become an icon for Lazio, scoring 28 goals for the club, including key winners against rivals Roma. 

Fiorentina supporters hope Gomez can replicate the success of Klose, and some might think the pressure is on the German international. But, like Klose, Gomez is a player who has won, or come close to winning, all of the biggest tournaments in the world, scoring in all major arenas. Pressure should not be an issue.

The same can be said about Gomez's future strike partner Giuseppe Rossi. Fiorentina did not hesitate to snatch up the highly experienced Italian international in January, despite him being sidelined for over a year due to injury after his successful spell at Villarreal.

For those of you not too familiar with the Italian-America, take a look at some of his highlights in the video to the right. 

Before injury, he scored 54 goals for the Yellow Submarines in 135 appearances and was a key member of Cesare Prandelli's Italy squad during Euro 2012 qualifications, contributing six goals for the senior national team. 

Coming back from his two serious injuries can obviously pose a problem. However, along with the medical staff at his disposal, he will have the encouragement of Borja Valero, a key teammate of his at Villarreal. 

Knowing Montella, the manager will find no trouble in developing the chemistry between an already seemingly perfect partnership between the powerful, complete Gomez and the diminutive, pacey Rossi.     

Rossi has already expressed his happiness at the signing of Gomez, in a statement given to La Repubblica, as Football Italia reports.

Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic may very well leave the Viola, which seems all the more likely in recent days, as Football Italia reports.

Stevan Jovetic looks to be edging closer to a move to Man City, if claims in the British Press are to be believed http://t.co/S5eQxkozlD

— footballitalia (@footballitalia) July 11, 2013

Adriano Galliani on Robinho's #Santos deadline, Andrea Ranocchia and talks for Adem Ljajic “this morning.” http://t.co/bioZhjz9Eh #Milan

— footballitalia (@footballitalia) July 10, 2013

However, Fiorentina have already prepared for their absence in the best possible way, and might very well have found an even stronger partnership up front. 

This is all building on the already strong base created by Montella, and the 3-5-2 that he looks likely to employ in the upcoming seasons is, on paper, even more devastating than last year's formation.

Even if David Pizarro were to return to Manchester City, the Fiorentina midfield is still packed with experience and creativity, centered around Aquilani and Borja Valero and backed by the hard-tackling, ex-Milan stalwart Massimo Ambrosini.

The wings are supported by pace and flair with the likes of Juan Cuadrado and new signing Joaquin. At the back, Gonzalo Rodriguez has already demonstrated his qualities, and will be mustering a tough-to-breakdown defense with Stefan Savic and Facundo Roncaglia. 

The upcoming Serie A season may very well be one of big surprises, thanks to a recent revival in the central Italian teams. Roma look primed to bounce back after losing the Coppa Italia to rivals Lazio. Lazio, meanwhile, will be looking to improve their already successful performance last season.

But, it's Fiorentina who seems the most likely to stir things up. 

Follow me on Twitter.

To a lot of people, the idea that a 27-year-old international striker who's scored 75 league goals in the last four seasons might be surplus to requirements at a club—even the current European champions—is a little hard to comprehend. 

Whatever Bayern Munich's thinking, however, it seems fairly certain that Mario Gomez will be leaving Bavaria this summer in search of pastures new and a club that might better appreciate his contributions. 

Chief among those destinations touted is Florence, as per Die Roten (via Kyle Bonn of NBC Sports' Pro Soccer Talk). Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina are among the most entertaining teams in European football but having narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification to Max Allegri's Milan, they need to strengthen over the summer to push on in 2013-14. 

A striker will be on top of Montella's shopping list. Last season, Stevan Jovetic lead the line for the Viola, but for all of the Montenegrin's talents—and they are abundant—he's not an out-and-out striker, nor is he extremely prolific.

Jovetic's game is about more than just goals, but any side in search of Champions League football needs more than 13 strikes from its lead man in a season. The young forward is undoubtedly a player that catches the eye, but his importance to Montella—his goals account for 18 percent of the side's total, compared to Edinson Cavani, who scored 40 percent of Napoli's sum—is often overstated.  

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, for instance, would be a lot harder to replace and over the course of 2012-13, more influential more often. 

Luckily for the former Roma striker-turned-manager, then, that the Colombian will stay put in Florence next term. It's Jovetic who looks set to leave, but a signing like Gomez would mean he wouldn't be missed too much. 

The German forward is the perfect fit for Fiorentina and Montella. Both the club and the manager know the value of a player like Gomez better than most. It was in the purple colours of the Stadio Artemio Franchi outfit that Argentinian legend Gabriel Batistuta made his name. 

The mercurial Batigol enjoyed a decade up front for Fiorentina—and the fans enjoyed his goals. The former Boca Juniors man scored more than 200 goals for the Viola before joining Montella in the Italian capital for a memorable Scudetto win with the Giallorossi. 

Batistuta was one of the all-time greats and a legend not likely to be usurped in Tuscany any time soon. In many ways the ideal forward, he was athletic, intelligent, skilled on the ball, good at creating space off of it and lethal in the air. 

Not an easy package to replicate by any means, but there are shades of Batigol about Gomez. He's tall, powerful, cultured, reliable in front of goal and formidable in the air. It's not for nothing that Bayern paid €30 million to VfB Stuttgart for his signature, after all. 

The market has just opened, and a player with the characteristics and track record of Gomez is going to interest plenty of clubs. But after being deemed superfluous by Bayern, the chance to become the leading light at one of the continent's most exciting clubs is certain to interest a player who, in spite of all the titles he's won, still has a lot to prove.

He'll also have one eye on the World Cup next summer, a goal that won't be helped by a season on the bench in Munich. Firing the Viola to the Champions League, however, would do wonders for his claim to a Germany shirt in 2014.