Last week, AC Milan had agreed on personal terms with Atalanta attacking midfielder Josip Ilicic. This week, however, things have taken a turn, according to Gianluca di Marzio.
After meeting with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini, it seems as if Ilicic will now be staying with the Bergamo side. Ilicic has seen great success with the squad and they remain a threat in Serie A while playing in the Champions League, so this is not necessarily a surprise.
Atalanta Confident They Can Keep Josip Ilicic
The Team Looks to Retain a Familiar Face
Atalanta have been one of football’s pleasant surprises over the last couple of seasons. A relatively small club, at least in terms of fanbase and revenue, became a consistent threat to the title in Serie A as well as putting in some stellar Champions League performances.
Much of the attention went towards the team’s attack, which is greatly warranted, but overall Atalanta have been excellent. The chemistry between players and coaches is stellar. They identify and produce strong talent and they do it all on a budget.
Due to the team’s stature, it’s difficult for them to keep all their top stars. For example, outstanding defender Cristian Romero departed for Tottenham Hotspur this summer, as did goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.
Atalanta, however, added reinforcements quickly. Juan Musso is a terrific goalkeeper and ideal replacement for Gollini while Merih Demiral shores up the defence.
Change can be good, but it’s important for the club to keep familiar faces. This is especially true for those with talent and veteran leadership. This is exactly what Ilicic brings. Ilicic still represents the ‘old guard’ in a way, in the sense of players who were part of the squad when Atalanta began exploding onto the scene.
This includes other top talents such as Rafael Toloi, Robin Gosens, Marten de Roon, Remo Freuler, Hans Hateboer, and a couple of others. After losing former star Papu Gomez, keeping an attacking leader like Ilicic is vital for Atalanta.
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