With two weeks left to go in the transfer window, Gianluca DiMarzio tweets are churning out like wildfire. And for Atalantini the most interesting and positive one that has come across the innerwebs is Atalanta’s interest in Beanou-Junior Brandon Deflorent Soppy – better known as Brandon Soppy. With a great squad number (#93) to go along with a great name, I’m hoping Atalanta is able to welcome the Frenchman into a wingback rotation that is in need of some sort of shakeup. The deal is valued at 9M euros with an additional million euros in bonuses – so Soppy is definitely not coming cheap. However, when comparing this deal to the potential dry loan deal for Nuno Taveras – you take the Soppy deal any day. Not to hate on Taveras, but Soppy is two years younger, and is coming on a more affordable deal (Taveras loan deal was rumored to be 12M euros!) In addition, the Arsenal linkage absolutely drives Tavares’s price upwards – can we really determine if Nuno is more valuable than Soppy when neither has put together a full season, and their youth trajectories just happened to occur in two different environments?
Intersecting nicely with rumors that both Hans Hateboer and Joakim Maehle could be on the way out of Bergamo this August, Soppy could immediately fit into Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans. It would require a lot of faith from the skipper to throw the relatively unproven Soppy right into the mix, but it may be out of necessity depending on how the rest of the market plays out. What makes this even more difficult to project is how little is known about Soppy. He’s played a total of 867 Serie A minutes for Udinese, and another 559 minutes for Ligue 1 club Rennes. Saying the 20 year old is raw would be an understatement.
However, he certainly has the tools to blossom as a wingback. His pedigree is certainly encouraging; Stade Rennais is one of the top clubs in Europe for development, and it tends to be rewarded handsomely for its nurturing efforts. This year alone Rennais has sold Nayef Aguerd and Mathys Tel for over 60M euros to West Ham and Bayern respectively. Additionally, Eduardo Camavinga, Edouard Mendy, and Raphinha have all left Rennes for comfy sums of cash. Essentially this is a long-winded way to say that Soppy comes from good stock, and it feels like a positive risk anytime a player is signed with a link to Rennes.
Pedigree is one thing, but the actual traits he possesses on the field obviously would tell a clearer story. The problem: he’s played so few professional minutes its difficult to ascertain his skill to immediately contribute. I recall seeing Soppy only a few times last year in Udinese’s black and white stripes, but I do remember coming away impressed. He has speed to burn, and nothing can make up for other deficiencies at wingback more than speed. Not that I’m suggesting that Soppy has glaring flaws in his game! Beyond his speed, everything else is like opening a mystery box. It is tough to make judgements about his passing, defense, awareness, and anything else purely because of his minimal minutes in Serie A and Ligue 1.
So for now, let’s trust that the scouts and the brass have done their homework. And I think they have! Both Rennes and Udinese are smart organizations who know how to churn out players – so Atalanta going apple picking through these types of orchards is both efficient and smart. Here’s an early welcome to Brandon Soppy, and best of luck to him in Bergamo!
