New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi has made a move from la Liga club Villarreal to Serie A side Fiorentina, reportedly for a transfer fee in the range of $12.45 million.
Rossi, who has been sidelined for over a year while rehabbing from a torn ACL, inked a four-year contract with Fiorentina, with is expected to pay over $2.5 million annually and can only help his fortunes with the Italian National Team.
The high-scoring striker was raised in Clifton, but moved to Parma at age 12. He spurned the U.S. National Team in hopes of playing for his beloved Azzurri, and while he has made 27 appearances (scoring six times), Italy has a seeming preference for using players who ply their trade domestically.
Rossi hurt his right knee in October, 2011 against powerhouse Real Madrid, then tore the same ligament yet again last spring, undergoing a second surgery in April.