Reports linking Teun Koopmeiners with a potential £35 million move to Premier League giants Liverpool are ‘not true’, Atalanta’s sporting director Tony D’Amico tells Sky Italia.
There were even more eyes fixed on La Dea’s Dutch international than normal during Tuesday’s Serie A trip to Bologna.
And, in his first outing since being linked with a big-money move to Anfield, Koopmeiners certainly picked a fitting moment to score perhaps the finest goal of his club career; a 25-yard, left-footed rocket which nearly sent the back of the Bologna net flying into the Reno river.
Koopmeiners, capped 15 times by the Netherlands, has been watched closely by Liverpool in recent months (i News). The former AZ Alkmaar captain will reportedly cost around £35 million. A not insignificant fee, of course, though far less than Borussia Dortmund and Benfica would demand for Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez.
Brighton and Hove Albion, meanwhile, want at least £60 million for Moises Caicedo.
Liverpool like Atalanta ace Teun Koopmeiners
But, according to D’Amico, Atalanta have heard nothing from Liverpool at this stage. Not yet, anyway.
“There’s nothing concrete. (Reports of talks are) not true,” the sporting director says.
“Like (AC Milan-linked goalkeeper Marco) Sportiello, he’s an Atalanta player. On the one hand, it’s nice because it means we have good players.”
This doesn’t mean Koopmeiners is not on the agenda at Liverpool, of course. Just that Atalanta are yet to open negotiations talks with Jurgen Klopp’s 2020 Premier League winners; a side who’s ageing and rapidly-declining midfield struggled once again during Saturday’s 2-2 FA Cup third round draw with Wolves.
A game in which another of their rumoured midfield targets – Matheus Nunes – caught the eye with his belligerent ball-carrying and eye for a pass.
Koopmeiners first registered on Klopp’s radar during his time at AZ; establishing himself in the Eredivisie as a natural-born leader and a consistent performer in midfield or at centre-half. Klopp reportedly saw Koopmeiners as a long-term replacement for fellow Dutchman Gini Wijnaldum (AS).
“A player with fantastic game vision, excellent passing, powerful, quality and a natural leader. (A player) who is truly consistent in quality and mentality,” agent Bert Baving explains.
“For a coach, he is the perfect athlete to work with. An exemplary professional.
“It’s always difficult to make comparisons but he’s a Toni Kroos, Jorginho, (Nemanja) Matic or (Manuel) Locatelli-type. Only Teun will score more goals than any of these players.”
Koopmeiners scored 17 goals during his final season at AZ Alkmaar. Admittedly, many of those came from the penalty spot.
Tuttomercatoweb, meanwhile, believe Atalanta have no intention of cashing in this month.
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