Last but not least, Teun Koopmeiner. Which is the Holy Grail of market objectives that Cristiano Giuntoli, now a negotiating man and deus ex machina of Juventus, has managed to achieve but that he had already been chasing during his time at Napoli as a decisive player to give a further twist to the project. Giuntoli tried then, the race was won by Atalanta, when they took him from AZ Alkmaar but first and foremost… There was Milan.
It cost ‘only’ 15 million euros
Before the summer of 2020, the clubs were already planning their future. In one of their many market missions, the Rossoneri club continued to watch Koopmeiners and almost convinced themselves to make the move. He was certainly not an illustrious unknown: the Dutch club asked for 15 million to let their captain leave, shortly after the club did not make the move and tried to insert Giuntoli. The Dutchman became the first name on the market, the agent also spoke of “surveys by Inter and Roma” and made official the interest from the Campania club. It was the summer of 2021, the European Championship was coming, the Giallorossi were trying to speed up the move, but as often happens, Atalanta broke the ice and, also thanks to a flourishing and virtuous economy, managed to use convincing arguments. For everyone…
20 million for AZ
A €20 million deal for the AZ Alkmaar captain, the Orobic club convinces him with a central role in the Champions League to play at the court of Gian Piero Gasperini. The money to pay him is there (it would have been there anyway) with the redemption obligations collected by Musa Barrow, Roger Ibanez and Andreas Cornelius. So after a long courtship by the Italians, Atalanta steps in and closes the deal. Time passes and Giuntoli never loses sight of the objective. He says goodbye to Naples, lands at Juventus, contacts with Dea and entourage continue. He doesn’t let go of the bone, even when the demands of the Bergamo team don’t decrease. 60 were, 60 will be. The Percassi win. Giuntoli wins. Some loves never end.