Juventus in Turin, Teun Koopmeiners in Bergamo, and Atalanta in Hamburg. The physical distance observed yesterday reflects the ongoing gap in the transfer market among these key players. The Old Lady has been keen on signing the Dutch midfielder since December to finalize their midfield, following the arrivals of Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa and Khephren Thuram from Nice. Since committing to Juventus, Koopmeiners has been pushing for a release from Atalanta.
For the past three days, the former AZ Alkmaar player has been absent from training, as confirmed by coach Gian Piero Gasperini in an interview with Eco di Bergamo. Koopmeiners, feeling stressed by the situation and having presented a medical certificate, has decided to step away from training and no longer participate in matches with Atalanta. This absence means that he will miss the historic UEFA Super Cup match on Wednesday against Real Madrid. While this is a significant sacrifice for the player, it pales in comparison to the risk of losing the chance to join Juventus.
Negotiations are underway to resolve the impasse, but Atalanta remains steadfast in their position, insisting that it is too late for discussions regarding Koopmeiners’ transfer. This rigid stance is rooted in their recent experiences, particularly the expectations they held about Juventus reaching out for the player much earlier, ideally back in May or June.
Despite the challenging circumstances, both Juventus and Koopmeiners remain hopeful of celebrating the transfer before the deadline on August 30. Juventus has acknowledged Atalanta’s principled stance, which currently does not revolve around financial aspects, but they are optimistic that time and Koopmeiners’ determination might change the situation.
Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is actively working to resolve the situation and still believes Atalanta may eventually agree to let go of Koopmeiners. If that happens, however, Juventus is not willing to meet Atalanta’s asking price of €60 million but is prepared to offer around €50 million, inclusive of performance-related bonuses.
Optimism is essential at Juventus, and they are willing to wait a bit longer for both Atalanta and Koopmeiners. However, this wait has its limits, especially as they aim to complete their squad with at least 3-4 additional signings. While Koopmeiners remains their top priority, Juventus is also considering alternative plans in the event that negotiations do not progress. Should that occur, Giuntoli will face the crucial decision of either reallocating funds towards wing players, targeting two new signings, or looking for a new attacking midfielder to support coach Thiago Motta, either immediately or in January.