Dutch midfielder linked to the Reds for £45 million is preferred to be signed by Juventus.
Teun Koopmeiners, an Atalanta midfielder, has reportedly skipped training in an attempt to pressure the Italian team into selling him.
Since Koopmeiners’ club won the Europa League the previous season, there have been many rumors of a £45 million move away from Bergamo, with Liverpool being prominently linked as Arne Slot looks to make his first acquisition.
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini asserts that the player has already accepted to move to Turin, leaving his team feeling “blackmailed,” although Juventus is leading the race for the Dutchman.
Gasperini told the local newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo, “The situation with him was going very well until last week, then the player decided to go to Juventus.”
He already has a deal in place, is under stress, and has made the decision to stop practicing or playing with us.
He cannot benefit the team or his teammates with this mindset. The club feels blackmailed by this circumstance, so we’ve adopted a very tough stance.
“This isn’t like the previous occasions when Atalanta traded important players to larger clubs.
“I’m eager for the upcoming season and don’t want to burden people who are still enjoying the previous one with my readiness. Our current predicament is far more challenging than anything we could have predicted.
According to reports, Liverpool is in the lead in the fight to recruit Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad as a midfield player this summer.
