After rarely figuring in David Moyes’s plans, Anderson has joined Italian club Fiorentina on loan. The Brazilian midfielder is ready to help Fiorentina qualify for the Champions League with the Florence club currently three points off the final Champions League spot.
“Fiorentina missed out on Champions League qualification by two points last season, so this year I want to help them get into the Champions League,” Anderson told Fiorentina’s official website.
Anderson signed for Manchester United in 2007 for an undisclosed fee from Portuguese club FC Porto after helping them to two Portuguese League titles during his time with the club. During his first season, he made 24 league appearances for Manchester United as he played an important role in their title defense.
However after his first season, Anderson failed to feature as much, never making more than 20 league appearances a season from 2008-09 until 2013-14. He enjoyed many successful seasons at Manchester United as he played a part in a side that won eleven trophies in six years including four Premier League titles, 2 League Cups, 2 Community Shields, 1 Champions League and 1 Club World Cup.
Despite his promise as a youngster, he has failed to turn himself into a regular for the Brazilian national team. It seemed certain in 2005 that he would become one of the great Brazilian midfielders after he won the Golden Ball in the 2005 FIFA Under-17 Youth Championship. However, his final in that tournament ended in a similar way to where his career is going at the moment - he was stretchered off just 15 minutes into the game.
Anderson has not appeared for Brazil since 2008 and he has only ever appeared in one international tournament- the Copa America in 2007. His move to Fiorentina might be an opportunity for him to edge towards the fringes of the Brazilian national team.