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Sportsmole 6mos ago
Atalanta chief offers update on future of Liverpool, Manchester United-linked midfielder
Source:Sportsmole

Atalanta BC director Luca Percassi confirms that the Serie A club "have not received any direct interest" in Liverpool and Manchester United-linked midfielder Teun Koopmeiners.

Atalanta BC director Luca Percassi has confirmed that the Serie A club "have not received any direct interest" in Liverpool and Manchester United-linked midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. After four years in his native Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar, Koopmeiners joined Atalanta in 2021 and has since established himself as a star player in the Italian top flight.

The 26-year-old has contributed with 27 goals and 12 assists in 114 appearances for La Dea across all competitions, including 10 strikes and four assists in 35 games last season.

Koopmeiners, who has played the majority of his career as a deep-lying midfielder, has transitioned into an advanced midfielder this term and has chipped in with 13 goals and four assists in 36 matches, helping Atalanta progress to the Europa League quarter-finals and Coppa Italia semi-finals.

The Netherlands international is expected to be one of the first names on the teamsheet when Atalanta travel to Anfield for next week's first-leg clash in the Europa League against Liverpool, who are one of a number of clubs said to be interested in the midfielder.

Koopmeiners keen to leave Atalanta this summer? Man United and Juventus have also been credited with an interest in Koopmeiners, who is under contract at Atalanta until June 2027.

Despite that, Koopmeiners has publicly revealed that he has asked to leave Atalanta this summer, although a "really interesting offer must arrive" if he is to seek pastures new.

However, club director Percassi denied those claims last week, insisting that the midfielder has "never asked to be sold".

Atalanta intend to "evaluate all aspects and decide if and who to sell" in the summer, but as things stand, the club are yet to receive any approach from clubs interested in Koopmeiners, according to Percassi.

Speaking to reporters prior to Atalanta's 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, Percassi said: "Let's just say that Atalanta do not need to sit down and talk about their players at this stage.

"It's normal that Koopmeiners and others are doing well, so consequently can attract interest from various clubs.

"However, we have not received any direct interest. We'll see later on, we'll sit down and talk once the season has closed, and whatever we do will be with the objective of strengthening the squad."

Koopmeiners was bought from AZ Alkmaar for just EUR14m (PS12m) almost three years ago, and it is understood that Atalanta now value their star man in the region of EUR60m (PS51.5m).

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