Michael Folorunsho is set to become Fiorentina’s first winter reinforcement, barring any unexpected developments. The midfielder, who was already favored by Palladino in the summer, is not part of Antonio Conte’s plans at Napoli. Conte even excluded him from the squad for the last game of the year against Venezia, which Napoli won.
According to Calciomercato, Folorunsho has reached an agreement with Fiorentina. The basis of the deal is a loan with an option to buy for less than 10 million euros. If the option is activated, the former Verona player would be tied to Fiorentina for another four years, until 2029.
What’s left to finalize the deal? The final details still need to be ironed out with Napoli, but all parties are interested in closing the transaction. One potential complication is the imminent head-to-head match in the league on January 4th. Fiorentina needs Folorunsho as soon as possible, but it’s difficult to imagine Napoli wanting to face him in just a few days.
The likely date for officially celebrating this football marriage is Epiphany Day, Monday, January 6th, even though we’re already in the final stretch of negotiations.
Folorunsho is accepting the move to Fiorentina after being very close to joining Lazio, where his mentor Marco Baroni, with whom he worked at Reggina and Verona in recent years, is coaching. In Rome, Dele-Bashiru has blossomed, and considering what happened to the unfortunate Bove, the Fiorentina option can offer Folorunsho more playing time. This could also help him in potentially regaining a call-up to the national team after his Euro 2024 experience.
