Mario Suarez departs Atletico Madrid ahead of Fiorentina signing

Atletico Madrid has bid farewell to Mario Suarez as the Spanish midfielder heads to Italian outfit Fiorentina on a four-year contract.

"Mario Suarez will play in Fiorentina," the club confirmed. "The agreement between the clubs is complete and will be formalized in the next few hours. The midfielder has travelled with permission from the club to join the Italian club."

Suarez, 28, came up through the youth ranks at Atletico Madrid. He joined the B team in 1999 at 12 years old before he moved up to the first team in 2005. In 121 appearances for Atletico Madrid, he scored five goals. During his time with the Spanish club, Suarez won six titles, including two UEFA Super Cups, the Europa League title, and the La Liga title in 2013-14.

However, having made just 11 league starts last season, Suarez is looking for more playing time. In Fiorentina, he'll have a chance to not only play, but compete for another Europa League title.