Teun Koopmeiners completed his move to Juventus from Atalanta before the transfer window closed, but the saga dragged on for a long time.
The midfielder had agreed to move to Juventus well in advance, but Atalanta was reluctant to let him go.
They demanded a substantial fee for his transfer, which frustrated Juve’s efforts to finalise the deal quickly.
The Bianconeri remained patient, and the Dutchman reportedly went on strike to force the transfer through.
Even so, Atalanta made it difficult for Juventus to secure his signature, but they eventually agreed to sell.
Koopmeiners will use the upcoming international break to adjust to life at the club and aims to start in their first game after the break.
However, while Juve’s gain is evident, Atalanta’s CEO Luca Percassi admits they regret some of their departures, including Koopmeiners.
He said, as quoted by Football Italia:
“Our objective was to keep everyone, but it was not possible for the well-known situations and that is a cause of great regret.”
Juve FC Says
Koopmeiners was one of the best players at Atalanta, and the midfielder will be a key man for us as well.
We expect Atalanta to miss him, but we will now focus on getting the best out of him this season.