CM: Atalanta move more likely as Allegri softens stance on Musah – the reasons

Atalanta are ready to make a serious attempt to sign Yunus Musah late in the summer window, another report has claimed.

In the past couple of days, rumours have ramped up regarding the potential sale of Musah to Atalanta, even if it were to strengthen a possible top four rival and to leave little time to find a replacement.

Serious attempt imminent

According to Calciomercato.com, Atalanta are looking to follow up the signings of Zalewski from Inter and Krstovic from Lecce (for a combined €42m) with the addition of another midfield player, and Musah is their target.

La Dea’s interest is concrete, and negotiations have progressed despite a couple of obstacles. The first concerns Milan’s coach Max Allegri, who initially vetoed the exit. He wanted him to stay, even if he would be behind Modrić, Jashari, Ricci, Loftus-Cheek and Fofana.

Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

In recent hours, however, the coach’s intentions have softened. This is partly due to pressure from the American, who yearns for more consistent playing time and knows he would give Ederson and De Roon a break at Atalanta, with the possibility of playing in the Champions League.

In the end Allegri could give in, but a second obstacle has emerged: aware of the strong interest from Percassi, Milan have raised the price of the former Valencia man from an initial €25m up to €30m. It is a hefty sum, considering Atalanta have already spent over €120m in this transfer window.

This price tag is dictated by Musah’s international experience and above all his versatility, as he can play in midfield and out wide, very useful for Ivan Juric’s 3-4-2-1 formation. However, the Nerazzurri aren’t giving up and are now considering their next move.