Real Madrid defender Alvaro Odriozola will play the 2021-22 season on loan in Serie A with Fiorentina, the clubs confirmed on Saturday.
Odriozola, 25, has found first-team opportunities hard to come by since moving to the Bernabeu in 2018 from Real Sociedad.
And he will now hope to feature regularly in an ambitious Viola side, who have looked to strengthen their squad during a busy summer in Florence.
Florence-bound
"ACF Fiorentina is pleased to announce that Alvaro Odriozola Arzallus has joined the club on loan from Real Madrid CF until June 30, 2022," Fiorentina confirmed in a statement published on the club's official website on Saturday .
Madrid also moved to make the transfer official, stating that: "Real Madrid and Fiorentina have agreed the loan of the player Alvaro Odriozola for this season, until June 30, 2022."
Goal understands that the agreement does not contain an extension or purchase option, and thus will only run until the end of the current season.
Odriozola moves despite having impressed coach Carlo Ancelotti in pre-season, placing a priority on picking up as many first-team minutes as possible.
The bigger picture
The Spain international is the latest new face to arrive in Florence this summer.
Fiorentina have also swooped to bring in Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira on loan from Arsenal, while Nicolas Gonzalez signed on a permanent deal earlier in the window after impressing with Frankfurt and Argentina.
The club additionally exercised its mandatory purchase option to sign defender Igor from SPAL and further strengthened their backline with Schalke's Serbia centre-back Matija Nastasic.
Odriozola's departure, meanwhile, is a boost to Madrid in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe.
Madrid now have 24 players registered for La Liga, meaning that there is a new spot open for the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, heavily tipped to complete a move to the Bernabeu in the coming days.
