Why Fiorentina Failed To Sign Aston Villa Defender Kosta Nedeljkovic Despite Total Agreement
Fiorentina missed out on the Serbian defender despite his camp and parent club Aston Villa agreeing a move.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 03 February 2026
Kosta Nedeljkovic was on the verge of joining Fiorentina from Aston Villa on transfer deadline day.
However, the move collapsed late on, leaving the Viola without the services of the Serbia international.
Italian reports said Fiorentina had reached a full agreement on the move, including the framework of a late-window loan switch.
But even with terms lined up, the transfer depended on one final step: ending the player’s existing loan at RB Leipzig.
Kosta Nedeljkovic: How RB Leipzig brought Fiorentina deal crashing down
Kosta Nedeljkovic was reportedly enthusiastic about the prospect of moving to Fiorentina, whose management hoped to complete the deal quickly.
Aston Villa had even given their approval for the loan move. However, in the final hours of the transfer window, the deal was definitively called off.
According to Calciomercato, Leipzig made a last-minute decision not to let the full-back go. As a result, Fiorentina were unable to complete the deal.
Meanwhile, Nicolo Schira claimed that Leipzig withdrew from the negotiations and failed to submit the documentation to end the loan.
Yesterday aftenoon #Fiorentina had reached a total agreement to sign Kosta #Nedeljkovic (born in 2005) from #AstonVilla, but the deal collapsed last minute due to #Leipzig (where the right back is currently on loan) which have no send the paperworks signed on time. #transfers
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) February 3, 2026
Either way, the outcome was the same. Without formal confirmation of the loan ending, Fiorentina could not register the player.
Why Fiorentina wanted Kosta Nedeljkovic and what happens next
Cagliari’s Gabriele Zappa was understood to be Fiorentina’s first choice, but Cagliari never opened the door to a deal, forcing Fiorentina to explore other options.
That led them to Kosta Nedeljkovic, a promising young defender and an ideal profile for the club’s recruitment plan.
His limited game time at Leipzig this season – just six appearances – fuelled January links to a move away, with Fiorentina hoping to offer him a clearer path to minutes.
As things stand, Nedeljkovic will remain on loan at Leipzig until the end of the season.
It doesn’t look as though Leipzig have an option or obligation to buy, which could leave the situation open for Fiorentina in the summer.
Leipzig previously had an option to buy Nedeljkovic for around €12-€15m after an initial six-month loan spell that began in January 2025.
They chose not to trigger that clause in summer 2025. Instead, they negotiated a second loan, which is the deal currently in place.
Fiorentina’s transfer window was fruitful despite missing out on Nedeljkovic, however.
Meanwhile, Fabio Paratici’s Fiorentina tenure begins on Wednesday.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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