Pazzini leaves Viola, joins Sampdoria

Nobody is expecting big moves during this transfer window in Serie A. Maybe some small clubs will buy a top Serie B player or some players will switch clubs, but the biggest transfer everyone was expecting was the move of Fiorentina striker Giampaolo Pazzini. The Atalanta youth product was considered at a young age to be one of the most promising strikers in all of Italy. Fiorentina snapped him up in 2005 and over the past 3 years he has scored 24 goals in 96 appearances, even though he was never really a starter because he always had to work in the shadow of Luca Toni, Adrian Mutu, and now Alberto Gilardino. Pazzini also was an Italy U-21 regular, scoring 5 goals in 22 appearances (English fans will remember the hat-trick he scored at the opening of the New Wembley). Pazzini can play as a striker or a support striker, and his main qualities are his quickness, his technique, and his finishing ability. He couldn’t take not playing anymore and requested a transfer this month.

Sampdoria, Bologna, Palermo, and even West Ham were said to all be interested, however Pazzini wanted to stay in Italy, so that ruled out West Ham, and Bologna didn’t have the finances to pay his price all at once, so that left Sampdoria and Palermo. Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini announced today that Pazzini refused Palermo and chose Sampdoria. Sampdoria bought Pazzini for a price around 9 million euros, and experienced Sampdoria striker Emiliano Bonazzoli will go to Fiorentina on loan for the rest of the season. This is Pazzini’s big chance, because now at Sampdoria with regular playing time he can confirm himself as the top striker he is capable of becoming, or just another player that failed to live up to their potential. (It should be a big help having Antonio Cassano giving you assists every week).

Pazzini compilation:

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Category: Fiorentina, Players, Rumors & News, Sampdoria, Serie A