Gilardino agrees Fiorentina return

Turin-based media outlet Tuttosport has learned that Fiorentina have won the race for striker Alberto Gilardino.

The experienced forward will put a pen to paper on a one-and-a-half-year deal with his former club, and he is expected to undergo his medical later today.

Fiorentina have agreed a loan deal with an option to buy for €1.5 million with his current club Guangzhou Evergrande.

Gilardino recently expressed his desire to return to Italian Serie A and his agents were in talks with quite a few high-profile sides.

The 32-year-old eventually opted to accept an offer from Fiorentina and is now set to return to Artemio Franchi, a place where he enjoyed three and a half very successful years.

Gilardino represented Viola between 2008 and 2011, making a total of 118 league appearances and scoring 48 goals in the process.

He remains one of Italy’s most prolific active strikers, having bagged a total of 173 Serie A goals, with Francesco Totti and Antonio Di Natale the only two active players to have scored more.