According to Forza Italian football, La Viola have been linked with a move for the Manchester United veteran defender Nemanja Vidic in recent weeks, and although the Tuscans have had their fair share of defensive problems this season, would it really be worth it to sign a highly paid, injury prone defender that only has real experience in the Premier League and is accustomed to yellow and red cards? Well, when put in that way, there is really not much sense in tabling a bid for the former Serbian international, and it is true, there isn’t really much of a point, unless they can make it worth it.
Fiorentina have had no problem when it has come to scoring goals this season, and with the likes of Giuseppe Rossi, Mario Gomez, Juan Cuadrado, Joaquin and Josip Ilicic leading the Fiorentina attack, there are only a handful of clubs in Europe you could claim have a better front line. They aren’t slouching in midfield either, the likes of David Pizarro, Borja Valero, Alberto Aquilani and Massimo Ambrosini fill the centre of the park for Vincenzo Montella. Taking their midfield and attacking prowess into consideration, Fiorentina, on their day, are a match for anyone in Europe, though their goalkeeper and defence leave a little to be desired.
Gonzalo Rodriguez is one of the better centre backs in Serie A, while Facundo Roncaglia is also reliable when on form, but it is not so much the lack of talent in Fiorentina’s back line that is the problem, it is the lack of strength in depth which causes the problems, and with goalkeeper Neto still young and inexperienced, it would help to have a more reliable custodian between the sticks when an error occurs.
Needless to say, Fiorentina need more defenders, but signing the likes of Nemanja Vidic would send them down a road they may regret entering, and as several teams have proven in the past, there are several junctions but seemingly no exit. It’s not always bad signing older big name players, as it has proven successful on many occasions, such as Juventus’ signing of Andrea Pirlo, while William Gallas also proved he had something to offer at Tottenham Hotspur. Though Vidic is a long way from the quality of Pirlo, and is also a lot more injury prone than Gallas, and that makes there be less of a reason to sign the United captain.
Overall, Fiorentina should refrain from making a move for the big Serb, as it is not only his lack of talent and susceptibility to injury that makes him an unattractive signing, but also the large wage he is currently on, and that United would probably ask for a stupid figure that no team would pay. Also the fact that when a team aiming for the top signs a big name older player for a low price, it is very rarely their only acquisition in that sector, and the tag of a retirement club is one that Fiorentina will not want, and is also one that is very hard to distance yourself from.