Former Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a new contract with Fiorentina. The Italian international has been at Fiorentina since 2012 after moving on a permanent basis for around € 800,000. The 30-year-old had once cost Liverpool an astonishing £ 20 million, but poor form and a number of injuries in the last few years have reduced his transfer value substantially. There have also been reports that he was looking for a move away from European football with MLS club New York City FC showing interest.
One of the new MLS franchises, New York City have so far been extremely active in the transfer window. They have already brought in Frank Lampard and David Villa – two players will straightaway put them as one of the favourites for the title. Lampard comes from Chelsea while Villa comes just after winning the Spanish league title with Atletico Madrid. Both players have cost nothing, as they have been signed on free transfers. As a result, the club have a sizeable transfer budget left in the kitty. This has seen them linked heavily with Aquilani.
Since making his debut in 2006, Aquilani has made 30 appearances for the Italian national team. However, it is highly unlikely that he will return to the national team fold once again considering the immense competition. As a result, he may consider leaving European football in search of pastures new. Playing in the MLS will appeal to him given the slow nature of the game. Quality of football will also be much lesser than in the Italian Serie A. Fiorentina came close to qualifying for the Champions League last season and Aquilani was one of the important figures. He scored seven goals in 44 appearances.
Even though this was not his best season at the club, he was still very influential.