Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini is glad the summer transfer window is over and reveals Leicester City target Jeremie Boga ‘spent the afternoon on his phone’ yesterday.
The ex-Sassuolo winger had been heavily linked with joining the Foxes. According to Sportitalia, Atalanta had accepted the offer from the King Power Stadium, but the 25-year-old refused to move to England.
Boga didn’t play in Atalanta’s 3-1 win over Torino yesterday and has only collected 24 minutes in Serie A so far this season.
“I am glad the transfer window is over,” said Gasperini at a press conference after last night’s win.
“[Hans] Hateboer, [Joakim] Maehle and Boga spent the day on their phones, waiting to go elsewhere, but now the market is closed and this is our team.”
Atalanta are now the Serie A table leaders along with Roma with 10 points. They have scored seven goals and conceded two in the opening four games of the season.
“The club didn’t make me a favour by keeping many players here. Every time somebody doesn’t play it’s a mess here,” Gasperini continued, as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb.
“The team is not the one I wanted, I’ll have to adapt and pick the best players, it’s a deep squad, but the club had no chance to sell.”
Josip Ilicic bid his farewell to Atalanta last night after terminating his contract with La Dea.
“The most important thing for me is that he has recovered as a person,” said Gasperini.
“I remember when I visited him in hospital in 2020, he didn’t have much strength. He is a 34-year-old man who can do extraordinary things in life, also as a footballer.”
Ilicic had been dealing with mental health issues after the COVID pandemic and has made sporadic appearances with La Dea over the last year and a half.
Don’t know why he can’t settle in Boga who has ridiculous speed
Donato
Because football is not track and field! Need more than speed to excel! Boga has been regressing! After a breakout season in 19/20, it seems he hit his peak! Atalanta paid way too much!
harsh comments about his players yikes