Atalanta winger Jeremie Boga was close to joining Leicester City last summer but admits he ‘never thought’ about leaving La Dea: ‘I wanted to show my qualities.’
The 26-year-old joined Atalanta from Sassuolo one year ago but had been struggling to justify his €22m price tag until a few weeks ago, when Gian Piero Gasperini introduced him in an away game with Bologna that saw the ex-Chelsea starlet deliver two assists, inspiring La Dea’s win at the Stadio Dall’Ara.
Boga was close to joining Leicester City last summer and when Gazzetta asked him why he didn’t move to England this past August, he replied: “I never thought about leaving, I told [director Tony] D’Amico that I had chosen Atalanta to show my qualities and I hadn’t done it yet.
“Now I am playing a little bit more and doing it well. I’ve always believed in myself and Atalanta.”
How did he manage to convince Gasperini?
“I’ve worked hard to get back in shape, which has boosted my self-confidence,” said Boga.
“My head was always the same, I was calm, I trusted God and myself and I felt I’d have my chance sooner or later.”
There was also a slight tactical change that saw Boga move to an attacking midfielder position from the left wing, where he had played at Sassuolo.
“I used to play in this position [attacking midfielder] when I was a kid, but the coach knows that if he changes his tactics, I can play where he needs.”
La Dea are in the race for a Champions League spot this season after failing to make it into the top seven in 2021-22.
“Our target is to play in Europe again, which is something we couldn’t achieve last season,” concluded Boga.