Njie's Scoring Streak Draws Sweden Call-Up as Fiorentina Loan Terms Near Trigger

What happened

Alieu Njie scored for a third consecutive Serie A match on Sunday evening, earning man-of-the-match honours again as Fiorentina closed out the pre-break period, according to Corriere dello Sport. The report says the 21-year-old forward, at 21 years and 178 days, reached a three-game scoring run in the Italian top flight for the first time in his career.

Report details

The outlet places him in rare company at Fiorentina, noting that the only two players to score in at least three straight league games at a younger age in the three-points-for-a-win era were Giampaolo Pazzini, with a run of three at 20 years and 250 days, and Dusan Vlahovic, who did so twice, the first at 20 years and 329 days. Njie's run began with his first goal of the season against Atalanta on Thursday 29 October, the newspaper says, and he has since produced three goals and two assists in roughly a week and a half.

Corriere dello Sport describes him as technically gifted, enterprising and concrete, and says coach Paolo Vanoli can no longer do without him. The report states Njie has started almost every game since joining Fiorentina, coming off the bench only twice, against Pisa and Genoa, and ranks ninth in the squad for minutes played with 705. In the match against Juventus, the paper reports, he recorded 60% passing accuracy overall and 69% in the opposition half, with three shots and five attempted dribbles.

The outlet credits Njie with responding to early-season criticism that he was wasteful in front of goal, saying he has worked to sharpen his finishing. That form has carried into international recognition: Sweden coach Graham Potter has called him up for the Nations League group-stage matches against Bosnia on Saturday 14 November and Poland on Tuesday 17 November.

Njie told reporters after the Juventus game that he was happy about the call-up, saying he had worked hard for it and was eager to begin. He said he was pleased with his goal even though it did not secure the three points, adding that he believed his side were close to raising their level definitively. On Vanoli, who gave him his Serie A debut at Torino, Njie said they work together every day on scoring and creating chances for him and his teammates, describing this as only the first of many steps.

Corriere dello Sport also details the financial structure of his move: Njie arrived at Fiorentina on a paid loan worth 4 million euros, with a purchase option set at 12 million that can become an obligation if a condition is met — namely, the first match Fiorentina play after 5 February, with or without Njie. The paper calls that a formality, after which a four-year contract worth half a million euros net per season would take effect, and judges the signing far-sighted and, on current evidence, well judged.