Fiorentina is considering other goalkeeper targets after potentially missing out signing Dominik Livaković this summer.
The Europa Conference League 2023 finalis, Fiorentina seems to be on the verge of failing to sign the Croatian shot stopper. Their current first choice goalkeeper, Pietro Terraciano, has been linked with Lecce. The 33-year-old player is set to be replacing Wladimiro Falcone, who is likely to return to parent club Sampdoria despite them playing in Serie B next season.
The World Cup hero in Qatar 2022 has attracted a number of suitors. La Viola was, as a matter of fact, the first club to make an offer to Dinamo Zagreb of €6m. Unfortunately for the Tuscans, it has been considered too low by the Croatian champions.
To add more salt to Fiorentina’s wounds, Fenerbahçe and Villarreal have joined the race to land the Croat. The latter has even bid €10m. Both have an advantage over La Viola, which increases Livaković’s interest.
Fenerbahçe is set to play in Europa Conference League qualifying, while Villarreal is playing in Europa League. In contrast, Fiorentina, will be absent from continental competition next season after finishing eighth in the final standings. That could change, however, should Juventus be kicked from European football.
It is no surprise that they are looking for other options for the number one between the sticks. Several names have been on their shortlist. Who will they eventually sign for them?
Fiorentina Pondering their New Goalie Targets beside Livakovic
Timo Horn (FC Koln)
The 30-year-old goalkeeper is one of La Viola’s top priority this summer. He has been unattached as his contract with FC Koln expired this season. Horn is one of the best shot stoppers in the Bundesliga. In fact, he was in the top ten goalkeeping stats in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, with 93 and 100 saves each season respectively.
Unfortunately, he lost his starting lineup spot to Marvin Schwabe in the past two seasons. Horn had his minutes reduced in 2022 with only 13 Bundesliga games. Last season, he even only made one appearance in DFB Pokal. Should he sign with Fiorentina, he could be the ninth German players in Tuscan-based club. There were several notable ones in the past such as the playmaker Stefan Effenberg in 1990s, the left back Joerg Heinrich and the Die Mannschaft forward in 2010s, Mario Gomez.
Horn’s best accolades were only Bundesliga 2 trophies in 2015 and 2019 and silver medal in Olympic Games 2016. He played for Germany U23 team alongside Serge Gnabry, Niklas Sule and Julian Brandt to reach the final before losing to Neymar’s Brasil on penalties.
Kamil Garbara (FC København)
The Polish goalie has been the second choice target. The 24-year-old is the best one in the Danish Super League, with seven clean sheets and a 76 percent save percentage last season. The former Liverpool shot-stopper helped his team win the league title two seasons in a row.
Garbara is also a modern goalkeeper who could function as a sweeper keeper. He also feels at ease assisting the attacking build-up. The Pole has already made his debut in a UEFA Nations League match against Wales last year. He could be Fiorentina’s next Polish goalie after Bartłomiej Drągowski, who played for Fiorentina for six years, but failed to secure the main spot.
Luis Maximiliano (Lazio)
The Portuguese goalie was tipped as Lazio’s first choice last season after his impressive form with Granada. However, his red card in his Serie A debut and the rise of Ivan Provedel, who was supposed to be his understudy, ruined his prospects. Provedel had consistent performances throughout the season and even won the Serie A goalkeeper of the season award with 100 saves and a 91 save percentage.
Last season, Maximiliano only made six appearances including just one in the Serie A. He is definitely looking for more regular playing time, with a move to Fiorentina possibly the solution.
Alphonse Areola (West Ham)
The former PSG goalie has been sharing the task in West Ham with Łukasz Fabiański. He was a key figure for the Hammers last season as they won the Europa Conference League, making five saves out of eight shots in 11 games. However, he only made five appearances in the Premier League.
Areola might be looking for a way out since he aims to be a first choice keeper. From 2013 to 2022, the U20 World Cup hero had several loan spells before securing a permanent move to West Ham. He has played for Lens, Bastia, Villarreal, Fulham, and Real Madrid, with his time at Fulham being one of his best.