MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 26: Matteo Ruggeri of Atletico de Madrid reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Atletico de Madrid and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadio Metropolitano on November 26, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Matteo Ruggeri remains firmly on Fiorentina’s radar as the Viola continue their search for reinforcements out wide, and the full-back’s own inclinations may work in their favour.
According to La Nazione, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Atletico Madrid defender is strongly tempted by the idea of returning to Serie A, where he made his name and where he believes his development can best continue.
That openness could prove a decisive card for Fiorentina, who have identified the Italian as one of the ideal profiles for their flank and are weighing a concrete move in the coming weeks.
Ruggeri fits Fiorentina’s full-back rebuild
Atletico rate Ruggeri and the strides he has made in Spain, but the pull of Italian football appears real.
The full-back built his reputation at Atalanta, where he developed into one of Serie A’s most reliable wing-backs before earning his move to Madrid, and a return would come with none of the adaptation risk attached to a foreign signing.
For Fiorentina, the interest forms part of a wider reshaping of their defensive flanks.
Dodo’s expected departure has left a gap on one side, Alex Jimenez has arrived from Bournemouth on the other, and Fabio Grosso’s squad is being rebuilt at pace ahead of a European campaign. In Ruggeri, the Viola see a Serie A-proven operator entering his prime years, and, crucially, one who appears willing to come back.
