Ten Hag wants €60m Dutch international at Man Utd

Imre Himmelbauer

Updated: 7 Feb 2024 16:15 GMT
3 min read

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are keen on securing the arrival of Teun Koopmeiners, according to Italian media.

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The Atalanta midfielder has been prominently linked with the likes of Liverpool and Juventus for some time. The latter club, however, are said to have dropped out of the race by now because the prospect of a bidding war with these three English superpowers is too much of a deterrent.

Koopmeiners himself is reportedly interested in a top transfer this summer, having starred in Serie A in recent times. A move to England would certainly make sense from his point of view and there are several question marks for both Man Utd and Tottenham for the near future.

In Manchester, it is very questionable how long there will be room for Christian Eriksen and Sofyan Amrabat, while at Spurs, the future of Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg is uncertain. That is why both clubs want to invest in the future of their midfield with the arrival of the 25-year-old Koopmeiners, who is under contract in Bergamo until 2027.

The twenty-time Dutch international can operate in different roles in midfield, be it defensively, offensively or in a more box-to-box role. This season, Koopmeiners has generally been deployed in a more attacking role: in 26 matches, the former AZ player has notched seven goals and four assists.

Atalanta reportedly hope to receive at least €60 million for their star midfielder. The Dutchman currently boasts an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €37.8m.

According to Tuttosport, Koopmeiners was recommended to United by Erik ten Hag. The Dutch coach is described as a 'great admirer' of his compatriot, who, together with Kobbie Mainoo, is being envisaged as forming the future midfield of the Red Devils.

Tottenham, meanwhile, had hoped for the arrival of Conor Gallagher in January, but the midfielder ultimately stayed at Chelsea. The Englishman remains a long-term target for Ange Postecoglou, but Koopmeiners is seen as a more viable - if not much cheaper - option.