Fiorentina have signed Nikola Kalinic for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk the club confirmed late last night.
The 27-year-old has been handed the number nine jersey, famously adorned by club icon Gabriel Batistuta.
No official figures of the deal were announced although it is widely reported that Dnipro and Fiorentina agreed on a fee in the region of €5 million for the Croat.
Last night, the club released a statement on their official website reading: "ACF Fiorentina announces that it has acquired the player Nikola Kalinic on a permanent basis from FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk."
Gomez replacement found
Kalinic, who endured a torrid time in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers over half a decade ago, comes in as a direct replacement for Mario Gomez. The German striker departed for Besiktas last month.
The 30-year-old forward joins Besiktas initially on-loan for the season before completing a permanent move next summer upon contract expiry with Fiorentina.
Gomez' arrival in 2013 from Bayern München was met with much hope from La Viola's faithful, however the German failed to deliver striking just seven times in two seasons at the Stadio Artemi Franchi.
Potential partners
How new boss Paulo Sousa will set up his strike force is anybody's guess. Exciting duo Federico Bernardeschi (21) and Khouma Babacar (22) have shone in pre-season, while Giuseppe Rossi finally looks back to full fitness again.
Bernardeschi and Babacar could potentially learn a lot from Kalinic, who averaged a goal every other game while with Dnipro.
Second signing this week
Davide Astori joined the club earlier this week from relegated Cagliari for an undisclosed amount. He had been linked with both Juventus and Napoli beforehand, with a move to the latter breaking down late on due to a problem with his image rights.
The club's sporting director, Daniele Prade, admitted that they have "always liked him, even the coach before did." He also went on to say how "David Astori reflects the values of Fiorentina".