Atalanta would seem to be shattering their all-time transfer record for Mali international El Bilal Toure, so who is the striker who snubbed Everton to join La Dea?
According to the latest reports, a deal has been struck with UD Almeria to sign Toure for €28m plus €3m in bonuses and a 15 per cent cut of the sell-on fee. That would crush the previous club record transfer, which was €22m for Jeremie Boga from Sassuolo in 2022. That move did not pay off, as he never recaptured the form shown at the Mapei Stadium and was sold to OGC Nice this week.
Rasmus Hojlund cost €17.2m only a year ago and is now at the centre of a bidding war between PSG and Manchester United, so Toure is the latest step in a change of strategy for Atalanta. The basic premise remains the same – buy relatively cheap, young players and sell at a massive profit – but with the American investors coming in, their idea of ‘cheap’ has evolved.
When you have one of the best scouting systems and youth academies in Italy, you can afford to be a bit more audacious on the transfer market. Similarly, ambition grows on the field with European qualification now practically an expectation, no matter what Gian Piero Gasperini may say in interviews.
Toure will turn 22 in October and his transfer value has already surged in one year from the €8m Almeria paid to get him from Stade Reims in September 2022. That was thanks to seven goals and two assists in 21 LaLiga games, but also takes into account that he missed almost two months of the campaign from March to May following surgery on his right thigh.
The most important goal of his career so far was the winner against Barcelona in February, if we don’t count helping Mali win their first ever Under-20 African Cup of Nations trophy in 2019, when he was only 17 and one of the youngest players in the tournament.
His main strength is in his pace, once clocked running at 35km/h, which again fits well with Gasperini’s current tactical approach. He follows in the footsteps of Boga – at least in theory – Ademola Lookman and Hojlund. Although usually a centre-forward, Toure can also play on the right side of an attacking trident, useful if paired with the sheer muscularity of Duvan Zapata holding up the line.
The initial impact with Reims was a little jarring, as his coach at the time claimed the Malian struggled with the cold of a European winter, so Spain and then Italy will perhaps be easier on him than Merseyside. Challenging for UEFA places and competing in the Europa League is also considerably more appealing than a battle against relegation, so not entirely surprising he chose Atalanta rather than Everton.
Dea fans will be intrigued by Toure’s career path mirroring that of Boulaye Dia, who he effectively replaced at Reims following the move to Villarreal. Considering how well Dia has done in his debut Serie A season with Salernitana, Atalanta would be more than happy with a similar approach to Italian football from Toure.