Kean on Fiorentina move, Retegui’s ‘challenge’, Juventus and Everton lessons | OneFootball

Fiorentina and Italy striker Moise Kean admits the Viola gave him ‘that extra bit to improve’ and is ‘motivated’ to challenge Italy compatriot Mateo Retegui to become the Serie A top scorer.

Kean is the second-best scorer in Italy’s top flight with eight goals. Only Atalanta’s Retegui has more with 11.

A former Juventus striker, Kean admitted that one of his targets is to win the Capocannoniere award in 2024-25.

“It’s something I draw motivation from. It’s among my objectives,” he told The Athletic.

“I like challenges,” he continued. “And the one between me and Retegui is great because it’s good to have a bit of a challenge. If you don’t have anyone pushing you, it’s not as motivating.”

Both strikers are part of the Italy squad for November games against Belgium and France in the Nations League.

Kean already has 11 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions with Fiorentina this season. He joined the Tuscans from Juventus for €13m plus €5m add-ons last summer. He had a year left in his contract in Turin and scored no goals for the Old Lady in 2023-24.

“So many things have changed since I got here,” he admitted.

“The prospects I have. Florence, as a city, believes in me and this has given me that little bit extra to improve and do well. I watched a few videos of Batistuta and (Luca) Toni when I joined. Florence has always been a big football town and this means a lot to me. The fans really take you into their hearts. They care about the jersey. They give you calore assoluto.

“Juventus taught me a lot of discipline. They took me from nothing,” the striker continued.

Kean on Fiorentina move, Retegui’s ‘challenge’, Juventus and Everton lessons

epa11713077 Fiorentina’s foward Moise Kean celebrates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match ACF Fiorentina vs Hellas Verona at Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, 10 November 2024. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI

“I was a kid from the streets and they taught me a lot. I left home early and they were more than a family to me. They threw me into the first team at 16 and it was a dream.”

The Italy international is a former Everton striker but failed to impress at Goodison Park with just four goals in 39 appearances between 2019 and 2021.

However, he feels that even his negative experience in England taught him valuable lessons.

“Out of all the experiences I’ve had, you won’t ever hear me say I had a bad one,” he said.

“I find positives in all of them. If I hadn’t spent that year at Everton, I wouldn’t have learned the things I did there. I was a bit unlucky. I went there expecting to play a bit more. I was 19. I joined from Juve and thought I was going to smash it. Unfortunately, it didn’t go like that. We went through three coaches that year and mentally… it was all new for me. I was in England, it was a new environment…”

When Kean went on loan to PSG in 2020-21, he shared the dressing room with Leo Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

“You can only learn being next to champions like Mbappe and Neymar,” said the Italian striker.

“Even if you don’t want to learn, just by watching them, you learn. Even if you were to think, ‘There’s nothing I can take from them’. You watch them and see things that aren’t normal and think to yourself, ‘I want to try that’. I was really lucky to get to play with them and they taught me a lot, particularly Mbappe and Ney.

“It wasn’t just them either. There were others like Leandro Paredes, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. They knew it hadn’t gone well for me at Everton and they helped me. I swear to you they were great, great people, all heart. I felt the love around me and I did well because of it. Just by showing me 80 per cent of what they did every day made me want to do well. When you have people around you who care about you and believe in you, it means a lot.”