I know many hoped we’d be finished with Patrick Cutrone and could make some money back from his sale next summer, but the 22-year-old isn’t having a good second season on loan at Fiorentina and may not join the Italian outfit permanently.
Previous reports suggested the Violas were obligated to buy Cutrone at the end of his temporary stint in 2021, but it appears there’s a lot more to unpack about this story.
On the periphery in 2020/21
Cutrone has been short of form and playing time under Giuseppe Iachini and Cesare Prandelli this season. He’s made 10 appearances across the board but has only amassed 243 minutes of playing time.
Franck Ribery (seven appearances, two assists), Dusan Vlahovic (nine appearances, one goal) and Christian Kouamé (10 appearances, one goal) have been preferred in attack.
Dropped because of contract clause?
Cutrone’s agent Giovanni Branchini told Radio Bruno (h/t Football Italia) in October that the obligation to buy clause would be triggered after he made 26 starts for Fiorentina.
Branchini said: “It was a long and complicated negotiation because Wolverhampton wanted the option to buy him back. In order for the obligation to buy to activate, he has to play 26 games from the start. So far, he’s had 11.”
Cutrone joined Fiorentina on an 18-month loan in January 2020 and started 10 games in all competitions last season. This campaign, he’s only started one game across the board and would therefore need another 15 for the option to be triggered.
It was suggested that Cutrone’s lack of playing time was down to Fiorentina not wanting to sign him for €16m, but his representative has played down such talk and believes it’s just down to him falling out of favour.
He told Radio Bruno (h/t Sport Witness): “It’s all talk. The loan contract with the option of obligation was made in a pre-Covid era. This does not mean that, in light of what has happened, there can be no negotiations with the card-carrying club (Wolves) to find other arrangements than those made in the pre-Covid period.
“An aspect that has never influenced the choices of any coach has been emphasised. I know this because I am often in contact with the club. The choices made were technical choices: they wanted to give continuity to other players. Iachini had strongly wanted Cutrone; he even called him.
“It seems to me that Cutrone had done fairly well last year, some chestnuts from the fire had taken it away. This year he made different choices.”
If Cutrone doesn’t play more, he won’t join Fiorentina permanently.
Summary
The 22-year-old scored only three goals and made four assists in 24 games at Wolves, so he won’t be missed here. But if we can’t sell him on to Fiorentina then we’re back at the drawing board.
With Raul Jimenez and Fabio Silva in attack, it’s unlikely Cutrone would get many opportunities under Nuno Espirito Santo, so here’s hoping he can get his permanent move to Italy.
In other news, who is the ‘new Lewandowski’ Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with?
