Fiorentina continue talks to sign Anderson from Man United

Anderson is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford

Fiorentina and Manchester United are still working on a deal for Anderson, according to the Serie A club's director of sport, Daniele Prade.

Anderson, 25, appears to be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford after failing to establish himself in the first-team since moving from Porto in 2007, and Fiorentina are keen to sign him.

The two clubs have moved closer to an agreement for the Brazilian midfielder, but Prade says he has other targets should an agreement not be reached.

"We like Anderson, but we like plenty of other players too," he told Mediaset television. "We're working on lots of different fronts. We are following him and he could come, but so too could other players. There's time until January 31."

The real object of Fiorentina's affections is a new striker, however. With Mario Gomez and Giuseppe Rossi injured, Sunday's 0-0 draw with Torino, in which Fiorentina drew a blank for only the third time this season, highlighted the need to strengthen up top.

"I can't say when a new striker will arrive," Prade added. "We're not going to buy somebody just for the sake of it, but we do want a striker."

Prade has scratched Antonio Di Natale and Antonio Cassano off that list already, while Gomez hopes to render the search superfluous by returning in the very near future.

"Rossi is one of the best strikers in the world and we need him, just like I need to get back to playing football again at long last," the German striker wrote on his Facebook page. "I don't know if I've ever had such a tough time in my career -- what was meant to be two months has become nearly four, and that's really testing my nerves.

"We're trying everything humanly possible to get to grips with the problem of the injured tendon, but unfortunately recovering from such an injury is very slow. It's not always easy to work with an impatient player like me who just wants to get back out onto the field again and give back to the fans what they give me every day here in Florence."

Courtesy: ESPN