There is a rather peculiar scent wafting through the corridors of the Stadio Artemio Franchi this week. GoalZaza can confirm that Fiorentina are closi...
There is a rather peculiar scent wafting through the corridors of the Stadio Artemio Franchi this week. GoalZaza can confirm that Fiorentina are closing in on a deal to bring Alex Jimenez back to Serie A, a move that raises a few eyebrows on both sides of the English Channel. This is not the rebuild of a fading star on a sentimental farewell tour. This is Fiorentina's director of football banking on something more subtle, a calculated gamble on a player whose best football might just be played in a purple kit rather than a red and black one.Let's be brutally honest. Jimenez's spell at Bournemouth has been a story of unfulfilled promise. The raw pace and direct running that once terrorised fullbacks on the counter has been blunted by a league that doesn't forgive hesitation. He has struggled to impose himself when the Cherries sit in a low block, lacking the cutting edge to unlock stubborn defences. His final ball has been more frustration than flair, a series of crosses that hit the first man and shots that drift harmlessly wide. It is a classic case of a player whose strengths require space and chaos, not the structured, high intensity grind of the Premier League's mid table.And yet, Fiorentina are choosing to see the ghost of the player who haunted Milan. This is a club that thrives on transitional play, that loves to spring traps and release their wide men into open grass. It is an environment tailor made for Jimenez's specific talents. Think about it. He does not need to be a creator in possession. He needs to be a destroyer on the break, a direct runner who forces defenders into desperate decisions. La Viola have a tactical flexibility that Bournemouth, for all their organisation, rarely showed with him. He will be given the license to roam, to drift infield, to get the ball early. The question is whether he has the mentality to rebuild his reputation in a league that once adored him.This is a transfer that reeks of a bet on the player's psychology. Serie A is a slower division, a place where intelligence often trumps sheer athleticism. Jimenez struggled in England because he was asked to think quicker than he could react. In Italy, he might find that half a yard of space he has been craving. The pressure will be immense, of course. Fiorentina's support is notoriously passionate. They will not tolerate a passenger. But for a player who has seemingly lost his way, a return to a familiar environment could be the spark that reignites the flame. It is a soft landing with hard expectations.So, is this a masterstroke or a desperate punt The truth is probably somewhere in between. Fiorentina are getting a player with a point to prove, a man who knows what it takes to succeed in the top flight but has forgotten how to do it consistently. If the manager can unlock that old confidence, we might be seeing the start of a redemption arc. If not, this will be another footnote in a career that promised so much more. Either way, it is a fascinating piece of business that demands our attention.
