Fiorentina are preparing to open talks with Brighton about defender Diego Coppola as they search for reinforcements ahead of January.
Fiorentina talks over Diego Coppola set to start soon
Coppola, 21, recently joined Brighton from Hellas Verona on a five-year contract after earning senior Italy recognition.
Brighton described him as “tall, strong and mobile”, while the player himself described the move as a “dream come true”.
However, Coppola’s league minutes have been extremely limited in his first few months in England.
Indeed, Calciomercato has now reported that Coppola feels he doesn’t quite fit into Fabian Hurzeler’s plans at Brighton.
With Jan Paul van Hecke firmly established alongside Lewis Dunk at the heart of Brighton’s defence, playing time has been scarce for Coppola.
As a result, the Italian’s management is now in ‘deep reflection’ over their client’s future, and a January departure cannot be ruled out.
The outlet also reported that the Viola hierarchy has intensified contact with the defender’s agent of late.
Fiorentina will now begin discussions with Brighton in the coming hours, added the report.
While the outlet didn’t mention the terms of the potential, other reports – such as Corriere dello Sport – suggested he could arrive on loan.
A crucial January beckons for struggling Fiorentina
Fiorentina are in dire straits, having failed to win a single Serie A game this season.
Fiorentina sporting director Goretti has urged patience but insisted the club must be ready, calling December “important” with January approaching quickly.
Meanwhile, Viola head coach Paolo Vanoli has made clear his intentions to offload any players who “don’t want to fight” for the famous purple jersey.
“I think [the current players] have what it takes to react, and we have a big opportunity to prove that on Sunday,” said Vanoli, looking ahead to the weekend visit of Udinese.
“If it doesn’t happen then, we have the January transfer window, where we’ll look into the eyes of those people who don’t want to fight, and we’ll move on.
“When we get to January, we’ll evaluate.”
Vanoli’s warning that the club will “move on” from those who do not want to fight hints at possible exits.
This could push the Florence club towards loans and short-term fixes, prioritising instant reliability over long-term development.
For Fiorentina, a new centre-back remains the biggest priority, and Coppola fits the profile of a quick, Serie A-ready solution.
More information over Coppola’s pursuit should follow in due course, but Fiorentina’s message is simple: defending better is now an absolute must.
Elsewhere, Viola trio Albert Gudmundsson, Dodo and Edin Dzeko could look to leave Fiorentina.
However, Moise Kean appears eager to stay and fight in Florence.
