Atalanta and Stuttgart have reportedly reached a verbal agreement for El Bilal Toure to continue his career in the Bundesliga. According to Fabrizio Romano, La Dea will receive around €18 million for the club-record signing, with the player ready to pen a five-year contract at Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Toure joined Atalanta from Almeria only last summer. Gian Pier Gasperini’s side broke the bank to sign the 22-year-old center-forward, pouring a staggering €30m into the Spanish club’s coffers. It was a rare poor judgment from the Bergamo outfit.
Plagued by a long-term injury, Toure barely featured for Atalanta last season. He made his Serie A debut for the Europa League winners in February, coming on as a late substitute in a 4-1 thrashing of Genoa, marking his maiden appearance for the club with a goal.
He went on to tally 17 outings across all competitions. However, an underwhelming haul of three goals and one assist was barely enough to meet La Dea’s expectations. Toure has failed to live up to his price tag, and it’s hardly a surprise that Atalanta have opted for a sale.
Talks between Atalanta and Stuttgart are in advanced stages, with only the final touches missing before Toure joins the Bundesliga giants. Like Gasperini’s team, the Germans secured Champions League qualification last term, defying the odds to finish second behind Bayer Leverkusen.
Toure’s impending arrival is supposed to make up for Serhou Guirassy’s transfer to Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, Atalanta will probably have to return to the market to fill the vacancy.
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