I get it, the summer transfer window isn’t even done yet and Atalanta still has a whole lot of business to do, but I think we’ve said and wrote all we need to on the matter. Koopmeiners HAS to come, and Zapata plus Ilicic look to be staying – so the team for the first half of the season is complete. But January, brings some brand new diamonds in the rough, where teams are looking to cash in one last time on players who’s contracts will be expiring in June 2022 with little to no intention of signing for their parent club. Deals can be had!
Atalanta got Viktor Kovalenko this way for less than 1M euros – and then proceeded to have him sit on the bench and then loan him out – but nonetheless it can be a great buyer’s market for teams to go out and make some deals. I’ve identified four players with a small amount, but not huge, transfer buzz this summer, that Atalanta should be keeping an eye on come winter time. By January the weaknesses of the team will be known, and Atalanta can go make a splash for a final push in the league.
Requirements for players: contract expires in June 2022, valued at less than 15M euros on Transfermarkt, as well as having a salary less than 1M euros gross. No more paying Kovalenko 2.6M euros! This list has a variety of options across the pitch, and gives Atalanta flexibility based on where the most dire needs may lie. Note: all salary info comes from capology.com, and player valuations come from transfermarkt.de
Jhon Lucumi (CB-23 yrs), KRC Genk, 11M valuation, 850k/yr salary
This is not a surprising name for most Atalantini, given his loose connections to the club over the summer. Nonetheless, even though a deal does not appear imminent this summer Atalanta should not cut off contact with the young Colombian. With rumors of Palomino departing, bringing in another left footed centerback will be crucial. Genk is now eliminated from the Champion’s League Qualifiers, so Genk should definitely be open to cashing in on it’s original 2.5M euro investment. We all know the success in the Atalanta/Genk partnership, I think it’s time to dip into the pot again.
Mattia Zaccagni (AM-26 yrs), Hellas Verona, 15M valuation, 930k/yr salary
Once again, another player that was loosely linked to Atalanta this summer, Zaccagni may feel a bit redundant in the attacking midfield role. Then again, Ilicic is inching closer to retirement, Pessina is not a true playmaker, and the jury is still out on Miranchuk. Plus, all four of Atalanta’s first choice attackers are left-footed! A right-footed player can bring in some much needed balance, and perhaps pick up the slack on the left hand side of the pitch, rather than having Duvan continuously run the channel. Without Juric, Hellas is a true wildcard team, and it would not be a surprise to see them fighting relegation by December, and perhaps throwing in the towel and cashing in where possible.
Dennis Geiger (CM-23 yrs), Hoffenheim, 10M valuation, 990k/yr salary
Dennis Geiger also seemed poise for a huge breakout in Germany, but it hasn’t gone as planned for the youngster- mainly due to a bevy of injuries. In the last three years he’s had two injuries that have sidelined him for 100+ days plus a slew of minor knocks that aggregate to an additional bunch of missed time. Geiger has not yet shown the ability to shake the injury bug, making Atalanta a perfect place to slot in without the stress of playing starter’s minutes. Perhaps this can help his body develop more, or maybe he’s just made of glass, I risk a few million to find out. He’s still young to come good on his talent, and with his excellent ball playing abilities, free kick taking, and pressing he feels like a perfect Gasperini midfielder despite his lack of height. He’ll be one to monitor this fall, mainly to see if he can string successive matches together.
Faitout Maouassa (LB-23 yrs), Stade Rennais, 12M valuation, 360k/yr
Maouassa is the biggest wildcard on this list. Again with injuries, he was not fully fit last season due to an early season ankle surgery, but still came on late to serve as an important piece to Rennes and a 6th place finish in Ligue 1. Monchengladbach has demonstrated interest this summer in the young Frenchman, so it is not one-hundred percent certain he’ll be available for La Dea come the winter. If available he’d bring a speed component that neither Gosens nor Pezzella can match on the left, plus a surprising amount of strength for a guy that barely reaches 1.70m in height. I think his package could successfully adapt to the wingback role, given his speed to track back, and his offensive cut-ins are Gosens-eque at times (you just can’t rely on him for aerial goals!).
While the summer days drag on with no new transfer news, before we know it winter and the need to shake things up will be upon us. Atalanta has found players that earned minutes the last few winters, most notably with Joakim Maehle seven months ago. It is definitely a dice roll to wait until the winter to sign players like this for a variety of reasons (they get snatched up by other clubs, summer signings can acclimate quicker), but the prize you get for waiting out can be a majorly suppressed transfer fee. Most clubs would hate to lose a guy on a free transfer, so clubs can be clamoring to get whatever they can for some of their players- especially those that are injured or on bottom feeding teams (hello Geiger and Zaccagni!).
Of course let’s hope the rest of the summer goes according to plan, and Atalanta doesn’t need to make any January moves out of clear necessity. Rather, let’s hope they can make moves to bolster, tweak, and throw a unique wrinkle at opponents. Thanks for reading, and let me know if there’s anyone interesting I’ve missed! Forza Dea!
