So it begins. With furious rumors coming more from the camps of Bologna and AZ for Tomiyasu and Koopmeiners, Atalanta commences its transfer season with a curveball upgrading the keeper position by inking ex-Udinese keeper Juan Musso. The 27 year-old Musso had been Udinese’s go-to keeper for the past three seasons, incrementally raising his performance each year – culminating in cementing himself as one of the best keepers in the league.
With a reported transfer fee of around 20M euros, Musso will be manning the net in Atalanta’s classic fluorescent keeper kit through 2025. No information has yet been released about the annual wage.
As one of the more coveted keepers in Italy, it is quite a testament that Atalanta were able to net a keeper of this caliber who is just entering his prime. For keepers with at least 50 shots faced on target, Musso was tied for 2nd in the league with a 72.9% save percentage last year, only behind Mattia Perin at 75.5%. Save percentage can be a bit deceptive, as it does not account for shot quality, however Musso still rates great in some of Statsbomb’s advanced metrics. In 2020, for example he again rated 2nd in Post Shot Expected Goals – Goals Allowed (which tries to measure shot stopping ability) – Gollini rated 26th.
Additionally Musso also looks to have great command of his zone, rating 4th in the league last year in percent of crosses stopped in the box – again Gollini only rated 19th. Not to have this become a pile on Gollini article, but it is safe to say that Musso is a significant uprade to the aforementioned Gollorius as well as Marco Sportiello.
Upgrade With the Champion’s League in Mind?
If you’re a frequent listener to the AtalantaPOD, you will know my colleague Atalanta Vegas has been emphatic at signing a keeper that is “worthy” to lead a team deep into the Champion’s League. Both Sportiello and Gollini committed numerous errors and lacked “wow” moments, making many question if Atalanta could continue on with passable keepers. The Madrid match was the final straw, given Gasperini didn’t even have the confidence to start Gollini, and Sportiello committed one of the most foolish errors of the tournament, essentially gifting a goal to Real Madrid. Musso’s distribution may not be elite, neither is Sporto’s or Gollini’s to be fair, but I think we can safely say that the Argentinian shot stopping ability is Champion’s League quality.
While the Musso signing is fantastic, it all but ends Gollini’s run in Bergamo – which is still a bit bittersweet. Gollini was a nice vocal leader for the squad with a nice bit of flair that you like to see from a keeper sometimes. Musso seems much more workman like, and it will be interesting to see how he dictates his defense. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled not to be bombarded with shots every other minute, but it could also be a mental challenge for him to switch on when Atalanta’s press breaks down. I think he’s up for the task, and I can’t wait to see how an upper-echelon goalkeeper bolsters are sometimes shaky backline. Welcome to Bergamo, Juan and best of luck in your new adventure! Forza Dea!!!
