Josip Ilicic is unlikely to be short of offers if, as expected, Fiorentina look to move him on when the transfer window reopens.
Ilicic only joined the Florence club last summer, when they lured him from Palermo for a fee in the region of £7.5million. The Slovenia international, who has 26 caps for his country, made a total of 31 appearances in all competitions during his debut season with La Viola, but he missed around 10 matches with two separate injuries he picked up in September and October.
This term, the former Maribor midfielder has struggled to nail down a regular start under Vincenzo Montella, who has selected him in his first XI for just five Serie A matches and twice in the UEFA Europa League. This has led to speculation that the player could be offloaded when the transfer window reopens in the New Year, and there is believed to be plenty of interest in him.
It has already been reported that both Sampdoria and Torino would be willing to offer Ilicic the chance to continue his career in Italy, and now La Nazione claim Lazio are interesting in taking him to the capital. It has been claimed that Fiorentina are prepared to let the 26-year-old leave on loan for the remainder of the season, with the view to a permanent sale for just £3.5million in the summer.
Earlier this year there was reported interest in Ilicic from England, yet this appears to have gone quiet. The Mirror claimed Aston Villa were keen to offer him a route to the Premier League, whilst the Daily Star felt Leeds United were an option during the reign of Darko Milanic. However, the Slovenian has since been sacked, and it is doubtful that the player would have been willing to play second-tier football anyway.
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