Reported Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton target Nicolas Gonzalez has turned down a move to the Premier League in favour of Fiorentina, the Stuttgart striker’s agent has told Fiorentina News.
When reports emerged last week suggesting Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion had agreed a club-record £25 million deal for the Argentina international, the reaction from Spurs supporters was one of frustration, shock and anger.
In the eyes of many Spurs fans, missing out on a player who had been a target for the best part of 12 months – especially to a top-flight rival at the wrong end of the league – was merely another embarrassing footnote in a summer already chock full of them.
But Tottenham fans can take at least some consolation in the fact Brighton are also set to miss out on a man who has been compared to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Kempes during his time in Germany.
Gonzalez is joining Fiorentina instead, with a medical expected to take place this week.
Why has Nicolas Gonzalez snubbed Tottenham?
“Can we say Nicolas is a Viola player? We can certainly say we are at a very advanced stage,” explains the striker’s agent, Jose Titolo, explaining why his client won’t be bringing his unique brand of skill and guile to English shores.
“How did Nicolas react to Fiorentina’s interest? With absolute happiness. Right from the start he put this possibility in front of that of moving to the Premier League.
“Our opinion is Fiorentina are emerging despite their problems. Fiorentina have a rich and important history and I believe they are trying to return to being the team that shone in Italy and abroad.”
Fiorentina tempt Gonzalez
Now, Titolo may be convinced La Viola are returning to the glory days but a club who finished in fourth place for three successive seasons in the early-2010s have a long way to go.
Gennaro Gattuso channelled his inner Marcelo Bielsa earlier this month, walking away from the Stadio Artemio Franchi after just 23 days, leaving Fiorentina without a manager only weeks before pre-season training is due to get under way.
However, it’s hard to argue against Fiorentina looking like a model club compared to Tottenham at the moment…
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