Fiorentina terminate Tariq Lamptey's contract after just 25 minutes of action

Fiorentina have officially completed the mutual termination of Tariq Lamptey's contract, bringing an abrupt end to a disastrous chapter that saw the Ghanaian defender play just 25 minutes for the club.

The 25-year-old full-back arrived in Florence last summer in a €6 million move from Brighton, signing a three-year deal. Hopes were high that the former Chelsea prodigy, once hailed by Frank Lampard after a dazzling debut against Arsenal, could relaunch his injury-ravaged career in Italy.

Instead, things went from bad to worse.

Lamptey's Fiorentina career consisted of two brief substitute appearances: a few minutes against Napoli, followed by his first — and only — start against Como on September 21, 2025. That night, after just 22 minutes on the pitch, he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

He never played for the club again.

The ACL rupture was the latest in a long line of fitness setbacks that have haunted the Ghanaian throughout his career.

Before joining Fiorentina, Lamptey had already spent a staggering amount of time sidelined during his Brighton days due to various injuries. That pattern simply migrated to Italy, producing a total of just 25 minutes of competitive football in a purple shirt.

The termination, finalised two games before the end of the Serie A season, makes Lamptey a free agent immediately. The timing is particularly painful with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just weeks away, though his lack of match fitness makes a Black Stars call-up highly unlikely.

For Fiorentina, the move frees up wages and closes a failed experiment. For Lamptey, whose career has been constantly interrupted by injury, the search for a fresh start — and some much-needed luck with fitness — begins once again.