Teun Koopmeiners, a Liverpool target, believes he is willing to put up with the rain if it means joining the Premier League this summer.
The 26-year-old has been with Atalanta since 2021 and is having a fantastic season, scoring ten goals and three assists in Serie A. He is one of two midfielders to reach double figures in Europe’s top five divisions in the last two seasons, along with Phil Foden of Manchester City.
Koopmeiners has piqued the curiosity of a number of big teams, including long-time admirers Juventus, who may return with a bid at the end of the season after expressing interest last year. According to reports in Italy, Liverpool has ‘already voiced their approval’ to sign the midfielder after missing out last summer.
According to reports, an offer of around £50 million would be sufficient to allow the Netherlands international to depart. In a recent interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, he discussed club interest and indicated that Atalanta is aware of his desire to leave in the summer.
He stated, “Last year, there was genuine interest from Napoli. Ultimately, the two clubs were unable to reach an agreement. I’ve told Atalanta that I want to move next summer, but there has to be something extremely great in exchange for Atalanta exactly like that.
“My fiancée and I are having a wonderful time in Italy, but for some clubs in England, I could even tolerate the wet days. I hope choices present themselves so that I can consider them, and then I hope Atalanta receives a nice sum for me, because I will have had a fantastic experience in Bergamo. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t heard about the interest Juventus and Premier League clubs have shown in me.”
He previously admitted that he was impressed by the Reds’ interest, saying: “I saw the links and stories about Liverpool – nice to see that, but I’m 100% focused on Atalanta.”
Whether the Reds renew their interest in the midfielder this year will be up to new sporting director Richard Hughes. CEO Michael Edwards will also need to be consulted, as will the incoming management.
Koopmeiners has 12 goals and four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions so far this season. He is under contract with the Italian side until 2025.
