It seems all but official now that longtime Atalanta defensive staple Andrea Masiello is finally off to La Dea’s next opponent, Genoa. Primarily known for hist match fixing scandal while at Bari, Masiello, seemingly against the odds, came back to prominence under guidance from Gasperini and thrived under his high pace man marking defensive strategy. He spent nearly a decade at Atalanta, which in this time of frenetic immediate transfers, is remarkable in of itself. I wish him all the best in his endeavors with Genoa, and whatever comes next in his football career (just as long as he’s not suited up this weekend!)!
To make up for the departure of Masiello, Atalanta is trading in experience for youth with the almost confirmed signing of young Croatian defender Bosko Sutalo. A member of Croatia’s under 19 squad (until he turned 20 of course), Sutalo seems to have the skills to mesh well in with the back three, combining physicality, speed, and technicality on the ball that makes a defender under Gasperini successful. At only 5M euros, it’s a low risk transfer, and continues Atalanta’s current trend of attempting to unveil gems in the least likely of places. Welcome to La Dea, Sutalo, and I can’t wait to see you develop with the squad over the next several years.
