Atalanta Close to Signing Nikola Krstović From Lecce as Fulham Reject Muniz Offer

Atalanta are about to sign Nikola Krstović from Lecce. They stopped trying to get Rodrigo Muniz when Fulham refused a €40 million offer.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Atalanta got tired of Fulham’s demands for Rodrigo Muniz. Fulham raised the price to €50 million during talks. Atalanta didn’t want to pay more, so they focused on Nikola Krstović instead. They agreed with Lecce to buy Krstović for €25 million, plus €5 million in bonuses. This follows a previous agreement where Krstović has indicated his desire to leave Lecce, and they are finalizing the details of the transfer. Krstović has told Lecce he wants to join Atalanta. This deal happened after Atalanta chose Muniz as their main target but didn’t want to pay Fulham’s high price.

CONTEXT: TEAM AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE

Atalanta finished third in Serie A last season, and qualified for the Champions League after scoring 62 goals, making them one of Italy’s top attacking sides. Nikola Krstović, 25 years old, was Lecce’s main goal threat last season, scoring 11 goals with five assists in 37 Serie A games. Lecce ended the season 17th, managing to stay safe from relegation by just four points.

WHAT NEXT FOR ATALANTA AND KRSTOVIĆ?

Atalanta’s next match is against Pisa, who is back in the Serie A after gaining promotion last season. Atalanta are counting on Krstović to improve their attack, replacing last season’s top scorer Mateo Retegui. Lecce, now set to play without Krstović, face Genoa next, hoping to move up from the bottom half. Atalanta want to quickly incorporate Krstović into the team, hoping his goals will help them climb in Serie A and the Champions League.