Atalanta have terminated Mitchel Bakker's contract with immediate effect by mutual consent. The 26-year-old wing-back is free to look for a new club on a free transfer. The club announced this through their official channels.
Bakker's exit had been on the cards for some time after it became clear there was no longer any future for him at Atalanta. The former Ajax player had still been under contract with the Serie A club until mid-2027.
Last season, partly because of injury problems, Bakker made just one appearance for Atalanta. In the 2024/2025 season, he was on loan at Lille, where he produced four goals and three assists in 35 matches.
After coming through Ajax's youth academy, Bakker started his career in Amsterdam. The defender ultimately made only two appearances for the first team.
Then, in 2019, Bakker joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. The Purmerend-born player made 45 appearances for the Parisian club before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 for €7 million.
Two years later, Atalanta paid Bayer Leverkusen more than €10 million for Bakker's services. The former team-mate of De Roon made 23 appearances in total for the 2024 Europa League winners.
So far, Bakker has yet to earn a senior international cap. He did, however, make 21 appearances for the Netherlands Under-21s.