The official announcement might not come before a few days, but Luis Muriel has accepted the offer to join Orlando City, leaving Atalanta midseason. La Dea’s assistant coach Cristian Raimondi has already said goodbye to the player on Instagram.
Per Il Corriere di Bergamo, the striker has come to terms with the MLS franchise, which is coached by compatriot Oscar Parejo. The proximity to his home country was a factor. He had offers from other leagues. Moreover, he’ll resume playing consistently, which he was no longer doing in Bergamo.
Muriel will sign a three-year contract with a €3M salary with Orlando City, doubling his current Atalanta salary. The Nerazzurri will receive €2M for letting him out of his deal a few months before its expiration date.
They had already decided to move on from him. He preferred going to the US rather than wait for other landing spots for a Bosman move in the summer. He had been linked to Inter.
🚨🟣 Luis Muriel to Orlando City, here we go! Deal completed as documents have been signed for Colombian striker to join MLS side.
Permanent transfer with immediate effect for Muriel, leaving Atalanta for fee around €2m.
Muriel will travel for medical soon. 🇨🇴🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xBSVcroZas
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 8, 2024
The Colombian forward departs Bergamo after four-and-a-half seasons, where he tallied 68 goals and 28 assists in 184 games, forming a menacing attacking pair with Duvan Zapata for a couple of years. He played 25 times this year, scoring 6 times.
Our Take on Muriel, Orlando City, and Atalanta
La Dea is in a new era and rich in talented young strikers, but other Serie A could have used somebody with his skill set. Nobody would have handed him that salary, though.
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