Moise Kean (foto: Uradni Twitter profil kluba/zveze)
Former Juventus prodigy Moise Kean has rediscovered his form at Fiorentina, becoming a dominant force and proving his immense talent with 19 goals this season.
Moise Kean is an intriguing case. He burst into senior football like a hurricane, earning a reputation as a top prospect with his performances in Juventus' youth ranks, quickly catching the eye of the late super-agent Mino Raiola.
Kean was seen as Italy’s answer to Lamine Yamal, but just as quickly as he rose, his momentum stalled. In the 2018/19 Serie A season, Kean scored six goals in 13 appearances for Juventus, but the Turin club soon moved on, focusing on their star-studded attack featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Mario Mandžukić. With such fierce competition, there was neither space nor time for Juventus to nurture a young talent often compared to Mario Balotelli.
A controversial move to Everton followed, sparking outrage among Juventus fans. However, after a disappointing season in the Premier League—where he scored just two goals in 32 appearances—Kean quickly left England. Banking on the reputation he built at Juventus, he joined Paris Saint-Germain, playing alongside legendary strikers Zlatan Ibrahimović and Edinson Cavani.
To many’s surprise, Kean thrived at PSG, scoring 13 goals in 26 matches. This impressive run earned him a return to Juventus, initially on loan, before securing a permanent deal for €30 million.
It wouldn’t be fair to say Juventus didn’t try to help Kean reach his potential. However, Kean has never been a player who seamlessly fits into any environment. In Turin, it was clear that something wasn’t clicking, as he failed to score a single goal in 19 Serie A appearances last season. Eventually, Juventus accepted that Kean was unlikely to become a star at the club.
A career saved by a transfer
A lifeline came in the form of a move to Fiorentina, and unexpectedly, this turned into the biggest story of Kean's career.
At 24, Kean has become the beast many anticipated when he first broke into senior football. In Fiorentina's purple, his combination of brute strength, explosiveness, and goal-scoring instinct has come together perfectly. In this form, Kean appears to be a player without limits.
Yesterday, he scored twice to sink Inter Milan in a match that had been postponed from December due to Edoardo Bove’s cardiac arrest. Kean has now scored 15 Serie A goals this season—more than in any previous campaign—with over four months still remaining. Across all competitions, he has netted 19 goals in 28 appearances.
Fiorentina appears to be the club where Kean wants to settle, as his development was previously hampered by constant transfers.
"My goal is to bring Fiorentina where it belongs. They took a big risk on me, and now I want to repay that trust. I score goals because of my teammates. We are like a family here. This is exactly what I needed," Kean said after his MVP performance.
With his blistering form, Kean is also emerging as a potential savior for the Italian national team, which has long struggled to find world-class strikers.