The Italian international left Juventus last July, and has remarkably taken the league by storm with his scoring exploits. He took his season’s Serie A tally to 15 after banging in a brace against Inter Milan on 6 February.
A convincing 3-0 result over visiting Inter, the defending league champions, saw Raffaele Palladino’s team leapfrog Juventus in the table to go fourth.
The Bianconeri can regain fourth place if they defeat Como on 7 February, when they aim to make it back-to-back Serie A triumphs for the first time since November.
Yet Lazio would overtake Juve if they beat Monza on Sunday, and Fiorentina would only need a draw at Inter on Monday to go above the Turin team.
Under pressure head coach Thiago Motta may have French forward Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germaine to spearhead his attack, and witnessed the dip in form of the club’s top scorer Dusan Vlahovic, but he could have done with an in-form Kean at the club.
There is the potential for Kean to rejoin the Bianconeri in the summer for a third spell. He made his Juventus debut as a 16-year-old, but after rejoining the club in 2021 he experienced a very lean spell last season.
Failing to score a single Serie A goal during the 2023/24 campaign was enough for Juve to cash-in on their former youth academy star. Kean only had one year remaining on his contract, so when Fiorentina forked out €13 million (US$13.5m) it appeared to be good business for the Bianconeri.
Only a tibia injury had prevented Kean from completing a six-month loan deal to Atletico Madrid during last year’s winter transfer window, leaving the player desperately trying to break his duck in Serie A for Juve.
Juventus fans and the club board must have laughing all the way to the bank with this transaction. Yet now it is the Fiorentina fans who have smiles on their faces, courtesy of the 24-year-old striker's explosive form.
Kean and Inter’s Marcus Thuram started their showdown match in joint second place for Serie A goals with 13 strikes. But Kean’s double over the Nerazzurri elevated him to just one goal behind Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui.
Inter could have propelled themselves to top spot, albeit on goal difference, over table-topping Napoli had they registered maximum points inside the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.
Palladino's depleted side surprisingly swept past Inter. Skipper Luca Ranieri opened the scoring on the hour-mark, with Kean adding a further two goals for an emphatic victory.
Kean headed home on 68 minutes, and in the dying seconds latched onto a poor back pass from Federico Dimarco that he converted past exposed ‘keeper Yann Sommer.
Motta certainly could have done with the same sort of dynamism that Kean has been displaying week in week out at Fiorentina.
If Muani can’t be tempted to join the Bianconeri on a permanent basis during the summer, and it’s only early days for the 26-year-old in Turin, then Kean could be a serious consideration for yet another return.
Kean’s 19 goals in 28 matches this season, finding the back of the net on average every 115 minutes, means that Fiorentina can command a serious fee for a player.
The Tuscany team tied Kean down until the end of the 2028/29 campaign with his contract, and his current release clause stands at a whopping €52m (US$54m).
Serbian striker Vlahovic, the second-highest Serie A scorer last season, has managed to score 13 goals in 28 appearances under Motta. Yet he’s only notched eight goals in 19 league appearances this term, although the new potential partnership with Mauni could develop into a potent attack.
Motta desperately needs goals, and with Muani shining in his first two Serie A matches there’s renewed hope that he can help lift the Bianconeri in their bid to secure Champions League football next season.
Kean is a natural sharp shooter who showed promise in his first spell at Juve, but lacked consistency after rejoining the club although he suffered a string of injuries during his dreadful 2023/24 campaign.
Motta must surely be monitoring his progress, with his 15-goal haul from 21 Serie A starts and one substitute appearance at Fiorentina.
Juventus could possibly be kicking themselves for letting him go to one of their rivals as his goals could partly cost the Bianconeri a Champions League berth next term.