A Serie A chain reaction involving several centre-forwards is taking shape, with Roberto Piccoli set to join Bologna from Fiorentina for €18m plus add-ons, while Mateo Pellegrino is moving to Fiorentina from Parma in a deal worth about €25m.
The transfer sequence also includes Thijs Dallinga, who is expected to leave Bologna for 1. FC Koln, as clubs continue to rearrange their attacking options before the new season.
The first move in the developing striker merry-go-round saw El Bilal Toure join Parma from Atalanta on loan. That agreement includes an option to buy, which will become an obligation if certain conditions are fulfilled.
Parma have now reportedly reached an agreement to send Pellegrino to Fiorentina on loan with an obligation to buy. The overall value of that deal is understood to be approximately €25m.
Pellegrino’s departure will allow Fiorentina to complete a deal for Piccoli to join Bologna. The striker is expected to move on loan with an obligation to buy set at €18m, alongside additional payments and a 10% share of any future transfer fee.
The obligation is reportedly conditional on Bologna remaining in Serie A. That means the clause could be activated if the club avoids relegation, making the permanent transfer requirement relatively straightforward to fulfil.
According to Corriere dello Sport reporter Eleonora Trotta, Bologna had initially preferred a loan agreement containing only an option to buy. However, Piccoli’s agent Alessandro Lucci reportedly insisted that the move should include stronger guarantees before the player committed to the transfer.
Bologna will create space in their squad for Piccoli by negotiating Dallinga’s departure to Germany. The Dutch forward is set to join 1. FC Koln on loan, with the German club holding an option to buy.
The series of agreements illustrates how one transfer can trigger several others across Serie A. Toure’s move from Atalanta to Parma began the sequence, while Pellegrino’s switch to Fiorentina has paved the way for Piccoli to head in the opposite direction.
Once Piccoli’s move is completed, Bologna will have addressed the vacancy created by Dallinga’s loan departure. Fiorentina, meanwhile, will be able to replace Piccoli with Pellegrino, while Parma’s decision to allow Pellegrino to leave follows the arrival of Toure.
The deals remain linked by their loan structures and future purchase clauses, but the reported agreements indicate that the centre-forward reshuffle is now close to completion.