The Viola are closing a deal with Turkish side Trabzonspor that at one stage appeared close to collapse amid a day of intrigue and conflicting reports coming out of Turkey. The 19-year-old becomes the Viola's fifth signing of the summer transfer window.
The transfer only came together in the past few hours after a turbulent period in the negotiation, with rumours from Turkish sources temporarily threatening to derail what had seemed close to an agreement. Oulai is already travelling to Italy, where he will undergo a medical on Sunday before putting pen to paper on his new contract.
According to sources close to the negotiation, Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici had to put together a significant package to convince Trabzonspor to sell, with the final agreement worth €25m in guaranteed fees, plus a further €4m in add-ons and a 10% sell-on clause on any future resale. The structure of the deal reflects how highly Trabzonspor valued the midfielder before eventually agreeing to let him go.
Oulai's arrival continues what has been an active summer of rebuilding for Fiorentina, who have moved with purpose in the transfer market to reshape their squad following a disappointing previous campaign. His signing adds a young, athletic presence in midfield, with the Ivorian expected to provide both energy and technical quality once he has had time to settle into Serie A football.
The deal brings to an end a saga that had tested the patience of both clubs, with Fiorentina ultimately having to dig deeper than initially expected to see off the uncertainty generated by the Turkish club's shifting stance during the final stages of negotiations.
The move represents another statement of intent from Fiorentina's recruitment department, who have shown a willingness to hold firm through a difficult negotiation rather than walk away once complications emerged.
Oulai's profile fits a broader trend across Serie A this summer of clubs targeting young, physically imposing central midfielders from less heavily scouted leagues, and Fiorentina will be hopeful that a fee in the region of €29m plus a sell-on clause proves to be shrewd business if the teenager continues his development in Florence in the way his performances in Turkey suggested he might.