Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani Departs As Part Of Fiorentina Spending Spree

Fiorentina have gone on a summer spending spree on Friday, announcing the signings of no fewer than three new players. In are Villerreal's Borja Valero and Gonzalo Rodriguez, as well as Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani. The Viola are coming off a disappointing 2011/12 campaign which saw them finish in 13th place with a -6 goal differential and have lost former captain Riccardo Montolivo to AC Milan already this summer, but the triple acquisition means they're once again in contention to challenge at the business end of the table.

That's assuming that they don't lose Stevan Jovetic during this transfer window, of course. If they retain him, they've managed to replace their biggest loss of the offseason with the very capable (although recently erratic) Aquilani as well as adding two more starting-calibre players to the midfield and defence respectively in Valero, 27, and Rodriguez, 28. Raiding relegate Villarreal's a good way to get cheap, effective players, and, assuming they're not spending Jovetic funds in advance of the Montenegrin departing, it's been a very very good day for Fiorentina.