Fiorentina Transfer Market: Paolo Vanoli Is Back on the Bench; the High-Profile Free Agent Is Back in the Crosshairs

In a brief statement released on Monday, Fiorentina confirmed the return of Paolo Vanoli to the bench. After parting ways at the end of last season, Vanoli will once again take the reins of the Viola following Fabio Grosso’s dismissal, which was made official on Sunday evening.

“ACF Fiorentina announces that Coach Paolo Vanoli has been appointed head coach of the Viola first team,” reads the club’s official statement. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the coach for immediately and enthusiastically agreeing to return to lead the first team. Vanoli will lead his first training session this afternoon.”

Although he is once again dealing with a roster that will need to adapt to his style of play—having been unable to participate in the summer transfer window—Vanoli will have several players at his disposal who are better suited to his vision of the game, with one notable exception: With Mandragora’s departure (who, incidentally, scored for Torino against the Viola in the very match that effectively cost Fabio Grosso his job), there is a lack of an “old-school” defensive midfielder, and so the name Marcelo Brozovic has come back into the spotlight; he is still looking for a team for this season.

There had already been talk of Brozovic in recent days, but two obstacles had stood between him and the Viola jersey: on one hand, competition from Lazio, which was also looking for a midfielder with proven experience; on the other, Fabio Grosso’s doubts, which had caused the deal to stall. Now that the 2006 World Cup champion is no longer Fiorentina’s coach, talk of the Croatian has resurfaced, as he is ready to consider any offer following his departure from Al-Nassr.

Born in 1992, Marcelo Brozovic played in Italy from 2015 to 2023, spending his entire time in Serie A with Inter. With the Nerazzurri, he won one Scudetto, two Coppa Italia titles, and two Italian Super Cups, also starting and serving as captain in the 2023 Champions League final against Manchester City.