Giuseppe Rossi is dreaming of a return to Champions League football after completing his move to Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old striker agreed a four-year deal with the Serie A club on Friday, bringing to an end his six-year association with Villarreal, he revealed Fiorentina were the only side to truly convince him of their ambition.

Rossi, who has not played since suffering a knee ligament injury in October 2011, said: “I would have made this choice if they’d approached me in the summer.

“I’m very happy to be here at Fiorentina, it’s a great club, and the only one who approached me with hard facts rather than just chit-chat.

“I hope to recover as soon as possible so I can start playing in front of the Florence public. The reception they gave me was fantastic and I will remember it forever.”

The former Parma striker is expected to make his long-awaited return to action in March, having undergone surgery on his damaged ligaments three times in less than 18 months.

“This is a new project and I’m happy to play a part in it,” he added. “They’ve given me an opportunity to play top-level football again and we are fighting for big prizes like Champions League qualification.

“The most important thing is to stay grounded, we have a good team and are in fourth place, so we can definitely compete for a European place.”

Director of sport Daniele Prade confirmed Rossi has a rescission clause inserted in his contract should things not work out.

He said: “He’s signed a four-year deal with the option of another four years. But he has a €35 million rescission clause for the first two years.”