Teun Koopmeiners is officially set to join Juventus in a permanent move from Serie A rivals Atalanta this summer.
The news comes courtesy of Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on X (formerly Twitter), with the Dutchman moving for $58m [£43.9m].
Liverpool had previously been heavily linked with the 26-year-old, though the Reds opted to go down a different route with their ill-fated interest in La Real’s Martin Zubimendi.
🚨⚪️⚫️ Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus, here we go! Deal in place for Dutch midfielder with green light from Atalanta.
Package confirmed: €52m fixed fee plus €7m add-ons, five year deal for Teun who only wanted Juventus move.
Medical being planned ahead of formal steps. pic.twitter.com/vQ70mCg8fy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 27, 2024
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Koopmeiners did court serious controversy with his behaviour this summer, inciting the ire of Gian Piero Gasperini after refusing to train with Atalanta ahead of a proposed switch to The Old Lady.
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Able to play deep ahead of the backline and in a more advanced attacking midfield role, the footballer would have brought some serious positional versatility to Anfield.
The No.7’s particular strength was his progressive carrying of the ball (91st percentile according to FBref) and ability to influence play in the final third.
As far as we’re concerned, of course, there was never as much of a need for more creatively-inclined options at Liverpool. We’re hardly short in the department between the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Of far greater importance was finding a long-term fit for the No.6 role – ideally, a player who was very reliable in possession in addition to their ability to play a role in build-up.
The man such a duty has fallen upon following our failure to land Zubimendi, Ryan Gravenberch, appears to be doing a fine job in both departments thus far.
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Why do we keep saying we’re looking for a “6” when we play a double-pivot 4-2-3-1? Is it because one player (usually Mac) ventures forward and the other (Grav) stays back when Liverpool have the ball?
Exactly. In a 4 3 3 system the number 6 is capable of “holding” the midfield as a holding midfielder. In a 4231 system with a double pivot, however, the number 6 generally takes on the role of a pivot equipped with the qualities that compliment the other pivot pair who is more offensive minded and less physical like macca and curtis. Gravenberch has fit that number 6 role for the past few matches but he isn’t origanally a number 6 and therefore isn’t a world class number 6. Which is why we are searching for an alternative since endo also isn’t world class like how our other players are in other positions.