With this season dubbed a failure, the board of Fiorentina is already planning for the next Serie A campaign.

Alberto Gilardino's transfer has left a big empty space in the forward line and in the fans' heart. For the rest of this season, the rule to replace him is assigned to the Italo-Brazilian Amauri but probably, considering the age and the fee, will be not confirmed for the future.

Viola's scouts are sounding out the market, in Italy and elsewhere: Cagliari's Mauricio Pinilla, and the Italians Nicola Pozzi and Rolando Bianchi (both in Serie B now), Marouane Chamakh (Arsenal) and Luuk De Jong from FC Twente are all under consideration.

Mounir El Hamdaoui, of Ajax, who was close to moving to Firenze in January, also remains on the radar.

- by Michele Mauro