According to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus defender Merit Demiral has joined Atalanta.
The move comes after Cristian Romero’s move to Tottenham, essentially making Demiral his replacement. Demiral joins Atalanta on loan, although the Bergamo side will have an option to buy him next summer.
Merih Demiral Joins Atalanta on Loan
Demiral’s Career
The Turkish defender is still young at 23 years old. After a strong Serie A debut season with Sassuolo, Demiral moved on to Juventus. Unfortunately, though, he suffered a major ACL injury at the beginning of 2020, which kept him sidelined for months.
The 23-year-old never quite gained back the traction he had started at Juventus after that injury. With that being said, he did return to full health and managed to make Turkey’s Euro 2020 squad, albeit despite a disappointing outing for the country.
The Move to Atalanta
First and foremost, Atalanta have steadily been climbing the ranks in Serie A. They’re consistent in making Champions League now, and both their playing style and talent pool have allowed their attack to wreak havoc on opposing teams.
The team often uses three centre-backs in addition to wing-backs. This should all but assure Demiral a starting place. Romero burst out onto the scene as the team’s best defender last season, so it’s no surprise to see him move to another spotlight in London and the Premier League. Demiral has big shoes to fill, but he’s certainly capable.
In a two-man backfield, the 23-year-old would line up alongside Rafael Toloi. On paper, this is still a strong defence. Clearly, Atalanta need this in another bid to qualify for Champions League while simultaneously playing in the competition this season. It’s safe to say the Bergamo side are not a Champions League favourite, but they can surely compete for another top four finish along the likes of Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Roma and Lazio.
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