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Bayern Munich may have been working on another surprise transfer deal while fans and pundits directed their attention elsewhere: according to Corriere dello sport, Bayern has offered AC Fiorentina to pay €70m as a transfer fee for their forward Federico Chiesa.
Gli occhi del #BayernMünchen su Federico #Chiesa: gli scout bavaresi l'hanno già visionato e promosso da tempo. In pole per l'esterno offensivo resta, però, la #Juventus, con l'#Inter sempre in vigile. Valutazione della #Fiorentina: 80 milioni. #calciomercato
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) April 20, 2019
Just three days ago, it was first reported that Bayern had any interest at all in Chiesa. Journalist Nicolò Schira, who works for calciomercato and Gazzetta dello Sport noted that Bayern had been scouting Chiesa for some time, along with Juventus, which he considers to be in “pole position” to sign the attacker.
The latest report from Corriere dello sport elaborated further on Bayern’s alleged interest:
Federico Chiesa is the first wish of the director of the technical area [i.e. sporting director], Fabio Paratici. Juve has been working for some time to pry him away from Fiorentina (but the Viola hope to resist them) and to preempt very fierce competition, both Italian (Inter, Napoli, Roma) and foreign (Bayern Munich, Liverpool). Bayern in particular has launched a serious offensive in the past few hours, of €70 million.
Bayern’s bid would fall €10m below that Schira reported to be Fiorentina’s asking price of €80m. Presuming the offer is genuine, it remains to be seen whether Bayern might raise its bid if one or more of the other teams said to be competing for Chiesa offers more.
Chiesa plays predominantly as a right winger for Fiorentina. He thus would conceivably be Serge Gnabry’s battery-mate in that position at Bayern, filling the spot on the roster soon to be vacated by club legend Arjen Robben. Chiesa is in the midst of a good season for Fiorentina. Just 21 years old, he has scored 12 goals and assisted 8 others across competitions, playing just over 2,900 minutes this season.
Chiesa’s overall numbers in Serie A and the Coppa Italia are interesting: he has scored half of his goals (6) and one assist in just three Coppa Italia games: 2 against FC Turin, a hat-trick in a 7-1 victory over Roma, and a goal and an assist in the 3-3 semifinal draw against Atalanta Bergamo. Chiesa’s bounty from his 32 league games is somewhat less imposing in comparison: six goals and six assists in 2,646 minutes.
Chiesa is nonetheless his team’s best overall scorer. Fiorentina is currently in 10th place in Serie A with 47 goals for and 41 against. Chiesa has thus been directly involved in approximately a quarter of his team’s goals.