Giovanni Fabbian's switch from Bologna to Fiorentina has been made permanent, with the Italian midfielder's loan deal converting into a full transfer for a reported €15.5m. The move was actually agreed back in January 2026, when Fabbian joined Fiorentina on loan with an obligation to buy attached, but that clause only became binding once Fiorentina hit a specific condition: staying in Serie A. That box was ticked in May, when a draw against Genoa confirmed the Viola's survival, and the paperwork on the permanent deal has since been finalised. Fabbian, 23, has taken the number 80 shirt at his new club.
Fiorentina moved for Fabbian in the January window at their lowest ebb. Stefano Pioli had just been sacked after ten league games without a win, with the club rooted at the bottom of the table, and incoming coach Paolo Vanoli wanted a physical, adaptable body in central midfield to help stabilise things. Fabbian fit the brief: he can play as an attacking midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker or a more defensive-minded ball-winner, and his energy and running were seen as exactly what a struggling midfield needed. Signing him on loan first, with the fee only becoming due if survival was secured, also let Fiorentina manage their finances during a genuinely fraught relegation fight.
For Bologna, this closes the book on a player they picked up cheaply and turned into a serious asset. Fabbian arrived at the Renato Dall'Ara from Inter Milan in 2023 for a fee in the region of €4-5m, with Inter retaining a buy-back option worth around €12m. He went on to become a regular contributor under Thiago Motta and then Vincenzo Italiano, making 91 appearances and scoring 11 goals, and playing a part in Bologna's Coppa Italia triumph and their run to Champions League football. Inter chose not to activate their buy-back clause last summer, and Bologna have now sold him on for roughly triple what they paid for him — a tidy piece of business even accounting for the player they're losing from a settled squad.
Fabbian's first months in Florence were not straightforward. He struggled to nail down a regular starting role and his output was modest by his own recent standards, with only a couple of goals to show for his time there, including a memorable late winner and a scrappy opener at Como. Local reporters were unconvinced by his overall impact, with some questioning whether he had really added the control and craft Fiorentina's midfield was missing during their fight against the drop. He was, at least, part of a squad that pulled off a notable escape: Fiorentina became the first Serie A side to avoid relegation despite failing to win any of their opening 15 league matches.
What happens next is less certain than the fee itself. Fiorentina's own coaching situation remains in flux beyond this season, and reports in Italy have already linked Fabbian with a possible move to Freiburg, suggesting his long-term future in Florence is not guaranteed even now the transfer is permanent. For the moment, though, he is Fiorentina's player outright, giving Vanoli's successor a versatile, experienced midfielder to build around as the club look to put last season's near-miss behind them.