Ian Maatsen or Tyrell Malacia? Atalanta to pick between Aston Villa and Man Utd players in search for new left-back

Beyond finding proper replacement for Ademola Lookman should he depart the club, Atalanta coach Ivan Juric's top priority remains to find and a left-back to bolster the backline. The Bergamo club have landed on Maatsen and Malacia to solve their defensive shortcomings. The Serie A side are also keeping tabs on Galatasaray's Ismail Jakobs, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Italian club were previously interested in signing Diego Moreira from Strasbourg, but were not willing to meet his high valuation. Resorting to other targets, the club are particularly interested in Maatsen due to his impressive loan stint with Borussia Dortmund in 2024, during which the club also reached the Champions League finals. Malacia and Jakobs are good alternatives, but both stars have faced recent injuries. A move for Maximiliano Araujo from Sporting CP is also off the table as the club are keeping the non-EU registration spot open for Muniz.

Atalanta are closing in on the signing of Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz, with the two clubs discussing a few bonus terms and the fixed transfer fees. Fulham have reportedly kept an asking price of €45 million (£39m/$52m) for the forward. Muniz is also open to moving to Italy, and the club are prioritising his transfer before starting new negotiations for their preferred left-back.

The Serie A season kicks off in a week, and Jurić has only limited time to focus on the team's tactics. The club are also working extensively to get Juric his targets before their opening fixture against Pisa on August 25.