I don’t think anything is as exciting and mindnumbing at the same time as summer transfer rumors. The initial shock factor and immediate crash as you remember it will ake weeks for the signing to be inked or the rumor to be killed off can be likened to chugging a couple of Red Bulls (speaking of Rasenball did you see Marcel Sabitzer is available?!?). To bide the time, and give myself something fun to do – I’ve come up with my dream transfer list to not only improve the team for the near term, but also long term.
The Ground Rules
- Budget is $40M, and current Transfermarkt.com valuations will be used as a guide
- No outgoing transfers (besides the $16M for Barrow) permitted, essentially bringing the budget to $56M
- No players are allowed to be signed with a valuation over $25M
- Play along
Now with everything laid out, let’s dig into the meat!
1. Teun Koopmeiners (CM): $18.2M, 23 years old
I stand pat that a backup to de Roon and Freuler remains the number one priority for Atalanta. And where better to nab a player than from the league that has given Atalanta one of its longest serving members in Marten de Roon. I previously would have thought Koopmeiners was out of La Dea’s grasp, but the rumors are coming in extremely hot for the Dutchman- and now it feels like more of a reality than a dream that Atalanta can swing this deal, rather than going for someone from a slightly lower tier ala Schouten, Svanberg, Veerman, or Thorsby.
Koopemeiners, who will be participating for the Oranje in this Euro campaign, is everything you would want in a midfielder. He’s a good passer, a good ball winner, and he has a thunderous left foot that helped him bag 15 goals for Az Alkmaar last year as a defensive midfielder! His free kick taking is on par if not better than Malinovskyi’s, and seeing he’s already AZ’s captain at 23 years of age – there’s plenty of maturity and leadership quality in his makeup. If Atalanta only gets one move this summer, please make it this one. He’s of the ilk to not just serve as a backup, but to be an actual staple of the XI (given that de Roon is already 30, it’s not a bad idea to begin looking for his successor).
2. Takehiro Tomiyasu (CB): $22M, 22 years old
A trend with this series will be links to players that Atalanta have actually been linked to in the press. Tomiyasu is no different. The obvious piece to be packaged in the Barrow deal to lessen his transfer fee, Tomiyasu screams the next Rafael Toloi. Capable of playing both as a centerback and a fullback (and with both feet), by his own admittance he comes from a Japanese footballing culture built on defense; on top of which he’s added his obvious offensive flair. Not afraid to get forward (just ask Robin Gosens and Pierluigi Gollini), he’s comfortable in possession and could be a great asset to the attack with the addition of pace to retreat in defense – which Toloi doesn’t offer as much anymore. And if Gasperini ever decides to go back four experimentally again, boom, he can play fullback on either side in a pinch. I highly recommend watching this interview to get more of a taste of one of two Japanese players in Serie A, plus another taste of his offensive capabilities.
3. Reinildo Mandava (LWB): $10M, 27 years old
After Lille’s historic Ligue 1 win, Les Dogues still find themselves in financial trouble (as with most of Ligue 1) most likely ushering in another Lille sell-off. Now Mandava is a lesser known name, and I’ve only recently come across links between Atalanta and the Mozambique national (Napoli is also linked to him), but he could become a nifty Robin Gosens apprentice.
His peripherals at first glance don’t scream out offensive juggernaut ala Gosens (who is almost 90th percentile for goal scoring activities), but there still is a lot to work with. His defense looks stellar, he’s doesn’t look afraid to contribute in a press, and he is still a good passer of the ball – which could make up for the lack of runs he makes into the box. His passing and dribbling can still contribute in the offensive build up, and with training and coaching could potentially elevate the his acumen in the final third. Steady defense is a nice trait for a rotation option, and if he has any room to grow into more offense, it would be gravy.
4. David Ospina (GK): $5.5M, 32 years old
This pick is a bit off the beaten path, but two things make the Colombian an intriguing pick. First, his age makes him relatively inexpensive (and he’s not Napoli’s first choice). Second, his keeping and ballplaying statistics are both an upgrade over Gollini. Ospina isn’t meant to be the long term solution for La Dea, but with Carnesecchi waiting in the wings – Atalanta could use an improved stopgap at least until Marco is ready. Often injury prone, this becomes Ospina’s big risk, but his performance when he plays is undeniable. Against Argentina last week he put in the performance for the ages, and he is capable of pulling off worldies when motivated. And as another Colombian…. why not bring him in?
Recap
So here’s the overview:
Koopmeiners In: $18.2M
Tomiyasu In: $22.0M
Mandava In: $10M
Ospina In: $5.5M
Barrow Out: -$16M
This puts us at a net spend of $39.7M with legitimate upgrades at some problem spots on the squad. You cannot even say these picks are quantity over quality, given the diamonds that can be found all over Europe. I believe all four of these transfers make Atalanta a much more well-rounded and deeper team; especially with European football coming again for La Dea, depth is the name of the game. Let me know your thoughts, and how you’d dish out your $40M?
