Fiorentina sign playmaker Saponara from Empoli

REUTERS - Fiorentina have signed former AC Milan playmaker Riccardo Saponara on loan from Empoli with an obligation to purchase the 25-year-old at the end of the season, the Serie A club announced on Saturday.

Saponara, a 22-time Italy under-21 international, first signed for Empoli aged 17 when they were in Serie B before earning an ill-fated move to Milan in 2013, making just three starts for the San Siro club before returning to Empoli in January 2015.

The midfielder scored 14 goals in 68 Serie A appearances in his second spell for Empoli, who are 17th in Italy's top flight but 11 points clear of the relegation zone. Fiorentina are eighth in Serie A.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Clare Fallon)