Fiorentina have announced that have signed creative midfielder Riccardo Saponara from Serie A rivals Empoli on loan until the end of next season with a view to making the switch permanent.
Saponara, 25, has struggled to recapture the immense form he showed for Empoli in the league last season and it is no coincidence that Giovanni Martusciello’s side have also struggled this season as a result.
Empoli’s bid to stay in the league has now been made even more difficult with news they have lost their No.10 to Fiorentina, as Paulo Sousa’s side finally look to have found a trequartista for the team.
Fiorentina will have to pay a €10m (£8.5m) to make the deal permanent in the summer of 2018 and the Viola will hope they can coax the Italian out of his slumber and rediscover his best form with them to help them close the gap on those ahead of them in the European positions.
Saponara has registered twice as many assists in the last two Serie A campaigns than any other Empoli player (12).
For more stats on Riccardo Saponara, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
