Fiorentina have signed Polish winger Jakub Blaszczykowski from Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan deal.
Since signing for the German giants in 2007, Blaszczykowski has made a total of 252 appearances for Dortmund - helping contribute to their two Bundesliga triumphs, before a whole host of troublesome injuries halted his career progress.
Blaszczykowski unlucky with injuries
The 29-year-old, now recovered from his most recent spell on the sidelines, is aiming to discover his form ahead of a possible trip to Euro 2016 with Poland next summer. The season-long loan with Fiorentina can only spell encouraging news for the winger, as he hopes to impress his new team-mates in the Serie A.
With Dortmund having started the season in superb form and with an influx of attacking players in recent seasons, it seemed only a matter of time before Blaszczykowski left the club as he looked for more regular first-team opportunities.
Hoping for more first-team action elsewhere
With new manager Thomas Tuchel taking over the reigns from Jurgen Klopp in the summer, the Polish forward was likely left out of his plans for the future and can possibly find his feet once again with Paulo Sousa and La Viola.
Dortmund's sporting director, Michael Zorc, had his say on Blaszczykowski's deal, saying that he's "not only a great footballer, but also a wonderful person", and "we[the club] wish him all the best for his sporting future in Florence." He continued, saying that the Polish international would always be "a part of the BVB family."
There is no indication on whether the loan deal involves an option to buy next summer. A strong showing in Italy could see the 29-year-old make the move permanent if any sort of clause is included in his contract.
Blaszczykowski scored 32 times in all competitions for Dortmund while also winning the league title twice, DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup and finishing runners-up in the 2013 UEFA Champions League to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.