Nicolas Gonzalez landed in Florence today and revealed he asked Argentina international teammates Lucas Martinez Quarta and German Pezzella for advice before signing.
The striker made the move from VfB Stuttgart for €23.5m plus bonuses, a new club record at the Stadio Franchi.
“I’m really happy to be coming to Florence, I can’t wait to meet my teammates and represent Fiorentina, which is amazing for me.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted and now I want to seize this opportunity to show everyone what I can do,” he told the official Fiorentina website in a video interview.
He has just arrived in Italy, as he was given extra vacation time after winning the Copa America with Argentina.
“It was a one-off experience. We didn’t know if we’d be able to win, but as the games went by, our confidence grew and we started to believe.
“Now I’m focused on Fiorentina and on proving myself. I’m really happy and have high expectations. I want to ensure the club is as successful as possible.”
Pezzella and Martinez Quarta were also in that Copa America squad, and Gonzalez confirms he asked them for advice before the switch to the Viola.
“Before I signed for Fiorentina, I spoke to Lucas and German many times, mainly Lucas. I asked them about things at the club and that’s what made me want to come to this wonderful place.
“I’m going to try my best to show what I can do and make Fiorentina successful.”
The 23-year-old trusts that the language barrier won’t be an issue for him and he hopes to adapt to Serie A very quickly.
“I’ve been to Italy before and I loved it, but never to Florence, so this is a new experience. I want to enjoy it every day, that’s something I didn’t really have in Germany, so I feel this is the right place for me.
“I do understand Italian, but I don’t really speak it, so I’m determined to become fluent within a few months. I want to tell the fans that I’ll give everything I have in every moment of every game I play. If I’m not selected, then I’ll cheer on my teammates. I just want to get Fiorentina as high up the table as possible and hope we’re going to have an amazing experience together.”
Nico Gonzalez has landed in Florence!
His first words as a Fiorentina player⚜#ForzaViola 💜 #Fiorentinahttps://t.co/2cOogdhfUi
— ACF Fiorentina English (@ACFFiorentinaEN) August 2, 2021