TheSportsCampus

Italian side Fiorentina have rejected a bid from Premier League champions Manchester City for their star forward Stevan Jovetic, reported ESPN Soccernet. The Montenegrin striker is being chased extensively by Chelsea and the Blues were poised to make a bid for the 22 year-old.

Jovetic started is a youth product of Serbian club Partizan moved to Fiorentina in 2008. The striker has displayed his talent for the club and hit top form last season, scoring 14 goals in 27 appearances. The Montenegro international is often compared to the Italian legend Roberto Baggio for his similar style of play.

Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella is desperate to hang on to his star striker and the club also reportedly rejected a €25 million bid from Juventus. Italian newspaper La Nazione reported that scouts from City were present at Fiorentina's 2-0 Coppa Italia win over Novara and went on to claim that the Citizens also submitted a bid which was rejected promptly.

However, the La Viola manager quipped after the game, "I think he'd be disappointed if he left, because we are building an important team here. We're giving him a team for his characteristics. This is a side with quality and I am certain that Jovetic strongly wants to stay."

Although Jovetic's list of suitors continues to expand with bigger names emerging for his signature, he looks set to stay at Fiorentina this summer. However, with the kind of amounts splashed out on transfers rising each summer, the Italian side might soon receive an offer that would be hard to refuse.