A Progress Report on Fiorentina's Borussia Dortmund Loanee Jakub Blaszczykowski

When Jakub Blaszczykowski left Borussia Dortmund on loan on the last day of the summer transfer window, there was an air of melancholy around Signal Iduna Park. The 29-year-old was Dortmund's second-longest-serving player after longtime club captain Sebastian Kehl hung up his boots at the end of the 2014/15 season. 

The Poland international played a total of 253 matches in all competitions for the Black and Yellows after making the move from Wisla Krakow in 2007. Not a single one of those 253 appearances, however, was under Dortmund's new head coach Thomas Tuchel. Muscle problems kept Blaszczykowski out of the club's promotional trip to Asia early in July, and even in the training camp in Switzerland, the Pole was only able to jog for the most part, per Kicker.

Kuba, as the fans lovingly call the man whose last name has to be some sort of cheat code for Scrabble, wasn't selected for a single competitive match under Tuchel. The writing was firmly on the wall and Fiorentina pounced.

It's only fitting Kuba's renaissance is happening in Florence, of all cities. 

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

After playing in only 29 league matches for Dortmund in the last two seasons—he tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the first matchday of the second half of the 2013/14 season in January 2014 and was out for nine months—the Pole is now an integral part of a Fiorentina side that is taking Serie A by storm.

Under new head coach Paulo Sousa, a Champions League winner with Dortmund in 1997, La Viola seems like a genuine title contender in what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting fights for the Scudetto in a long time, detailed by Ivan Palumbo of La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

Blaszczykowski was rated as the best signing of the summer by La Gazzetta Dello Sport early in October.

He has quickly become a regular starter on the right wing for the Tuscans, having played in seven league and three Europa League games until a problem with his foot kept him out of the game at Sampdoria on November 8, per Fantagazzetta.

The 29-year-old, never a prolific scorer for Dortmund, has found the net once in his 10 games for Fiorentina, as his thunderous shot opened the scoring against Bologna on his full Serie A debut for the club.

"

#Kuba #Blaszczykowski al primo gol in @SerieA_TIM con la @acffiorentina pic.twitter.com/EV3l5u0z49

— Matteo Moretto (@Matte_Moretto) September 23, 2015"

Speaking to Jochen Tittmar of Spox.com, Kuba praised his new manager for believing in him, saying this kind of validation is what he was looking for after leaving Dortmund. 

His former club, who reportedly got a loan fee of €1 million for the player, according to Bild, basically replaced Blaszczykowski with Adnan Januzaj. With the latter struggling to make his mark so far, one does wonder whether the same decision would be made again if Dortmund were given the chance of a do-over. 

The former Poland captain told Spox, in a roundabout way, that he would have preferred to stay at Dortmund, saying he isn't the kind of guy who fears competition, rather one who fights for his spot. He called his transfer the result of a decision in principle. 

While many of the Westfalenstadion faithful would love to see the fan favourite return to Dortmund at the succession of this season, that seems more than unlikely.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

For starters, it was obvious from their short time together that Tuchel doesn't rate the Pole's fit with the style of football he prefers. In Dortmund's new possession-oriented system, the wingers are not required to provide width and cross the ball into the penalty box—that job is reserved for the full-backs.

Dortmund's wingers focus much more on half-spaces and are generally inclined to move inside to generate a threat on goal. Blaszczykowski is more of a traditional winger, which is why he was surplus to Tuchel's requirements.

Most importantly, however, Fiorentina have the option to buy the 29-year-old next year for a rather modest €6 million, according to La Repubblica. Blaszczykowski himself told Spox he expects La Viola to exercise that option. 

Lars Pollmann is a featured columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for Yellowwallpod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.