Emotional goodbye, Semin's bewilderment and Cherchesov's approval: Lokomotiv and Atalanta agreed on the transfer of Miranchuk

"It's time to go for your dream"

It became known about the transfer of Alexey Miranchuk to Atalanta immediately after the end of the RPL round 6 match, in which Lokomotiv drew with Zenit. Even during the meeting, the railway fans gave an ovation to the injured footballer present in the stands, and he himself could hardly hold back his tears.

And soon a message appeared on the club's official website that Lokomotiv and Atalanta had reached an agreement in principle on the transfer of the 24-year-old player. All that was left for Alexey to do was to undergo a medical examination. After the final whistle, Miranchuk addressed the fans.

“I want to thank all the fans of Lokomotiv. Here, together with you, I became a professional footballer and a man. Together with you, we have won everything. With a pure soul, I want to thank everyone for being there in difficult and easy moments, ”the club's official website quotes the footballer as saying.

“The time has come to follow the dream. I know you will worry about me, and I will worry about you. I am not saying goodbye. See you. Go ahead, Loko, - added the midfielder.

The amount of the transfer in Lokomotiv has not yet been officially announced, however, according to the authoritative portal Transfermarkt, it amounted to € 14.5 million. The contract with the player expiring next summer forced the railway workers to agree to such an offer. In this situation, time worked against the red-greens, and each month of delay would cost them the lost money, since soon Miranchuk could become a free agent.

Also, domestic media reported that the parties reached an agreement literally during the match with Zenit. Allegedly, the Bergamaski sent a letter in which they confirmed their consent to all the conditions of the railway workers. Perhaps it is precisely with this circumstance that Alexei's emotional reaction is connected.

The chairman of the board of directors of Lokomotiv Stanislav Meshcheryakov said that Miranchuk's transfer to Atalanta is important not only for the red-greens, but for the whole country. 

“If everything is signed, we will be rooting for Lyosha so that he succeeds. This is important not only for us and the player, but also for the country. Perhaps our players will cost more. Amount of € 14 million? The press probably knows better. I do not want to comment yet, "- quotes the words of the" Championship "functionary.

In turn, the former head coach of Lokomotiv, Yuri Semin, criticized the club's management for too modest, in his opinion, the amount of the transfer.

“If Alexander Golovin left for Monaco for the maximum amount of 30 million, this is understandable, but 14 million is incomprehensible. This speaks to the qualifications of our famous leaders, ”said the specialist.

At the same time, the coach wished the former ward good luck and congratulated Atalanta on a good purchase.

“They bought a great player for the minimum amount of money. Much depends on Miranchuk; he got into a team that pays great attention to physics. In terms of health, he is completely ready for this. As for Lokomotiv, teams are usually getting stronger by the Champions League. There they represent the country, the league, but here it is the other way around. The best are released, ”added Semin.

At the same time, the head coach of the Russian national team, Stanislav Cherchesov, also rejoiced at Miranchuk's transfer to one of the strongest Italian teams in recent years.

“Miranchuk will have the opportunity to play in one of the strongest European football leagues. And in a very interesting and distinctive team. I know that he set a goal for himself - to try his hand at a good foreign club, and we can only welcome this decision and wish Alexei good luck, "Cherchesov admitted.

Moving to one of the brightest teams in Europe and replacing Ilicic

The Russian fans can perceive Miranchuk's transfer to Atalanta with optimism, because the Bergamasks are one of the most spectacular teams in Europe. Five years ago, the black and blue fought for survival in Serie A, but with the arrival of coach Gian Piero Gasperini in June 2016, they made serious progress.

Under his leadership, the club twice finished third in the national championship and made its debut in the Champions League. The first performance in the main European Cup was super successful. Atalanta almost made it to the semifinals of the tournament, but at the end of the match with PSG conceded two goals and finished their performance.

At the same time, the Bergamasks show a bright attacking football. Last season, Gasperini's wards scored 116 goals in all tournaments and became one of the most productive clubs among the top 5 leagues in Europe, and in Serie A they even outstripped all competitors. Atalanta scored 98 goals, while the closest rival (Inter) has 17 less.

In most matches, Atalanta operates in a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 scheme, in which one striker (Luis Muriel or Duvan Zapata) has two insiders. The place of one of them is assigned to the captain Alejandro Gomez. In the finished Italian Championship, he became the best assistant of the tournament with 16 assists. However, in February, the Argentinean turned 32 and may need a change in the near future.

In the past season, he was most often paired with ex-Spartak midfielder Mario Pashalich. In Russia, the Croat did not manage to fully reveal himself, but in Atalanta he got a place in the starting lineup and in all tournaments he scored 19 points for performance (12 goals + 7 assists). However, Miranchuk is quite capable of imposing competition on him, as the Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovsky is already doing.

But if you believe the Italian media, Alexei was taken to replace Josip Ilicic. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the 32-year-old Slovenian was having a great season. He scored 15 goals in Serie A, and in the Champions League, he designed poker in the match against Valencia. However, the quarantine had a bad effect on the football player.

The psychotherapist reportedly diagnosed him with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the beginnings of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. At the same time, the problem could also be aggravated by the shock caused by the situation around the football player's wife, whom he allegedly found with another man. As a result, after the resumption of the season, Ilicic took part in only five matches of the team and went to restore his shaky mental health to his homeland. It is noted that Josip may even end his career.

"The best legionnaire from Russia in Italian football"

Italian journalists generally reacted positively to the upcoming arrival of Miranchuk. For example, the newspaper Il Corriere dello Sport called Alexey "the best legionnaire" from Russia in the history of Italian football. In this rating, the 24-year-old midfielder is ahead of even Igor Shalimov and Igor Kolyvanov.

And La Gazzetta dello Sport compared the footballer of the Russian national team with Ilicic and another potential newcomer of Atalanta, Frenchman Florian Tauvin.

“They said about Miranchuk that he would replace Ilicic. At the moment, the selected player is the closest in characteristics to the Slovenian. In the Atalanta 3-4-2-1 (or 3-4-1-2) scheme, he can play the role of a left striker or a pure attacking midfielder, ”the newspaper writes.

In turn, Tuttosport speculated on how much Alexey Miranchuk would earn at Atalanta.

“The club must sign a five-year contract with the Russian with a salary of about € 1.8-2 million per season. Now it seems obvious that Atalanta has made its choice: the reinforcement that Gasperini expects in the attacking line is Alexey Miranchuk, ”the newspaper reports.