Kamaldeen Sulemana to Atalanta:

Atalanta's Questionable Summer Strategy

I'll be straightforward here: Atalanta's summer transfer activity has me concerned so far. While Juric's appointment after Gasperini makes tactical sense - the Croatian remains one of the most stylistically similar coaches to his Italian maestro - his recent track record raises serious questions. Juric's tenure at Roma was disastrous, his Southampton spell equally problematic, with only his Torino years providing evidence of competent management.

But today's focus centers on a signing that truly has me scratching my head: Kamaldeen Sulemana for €17 million plus €4 million in add-ons and a 15% sell-on clause.

Sulemana's radar presents a player with an extremely narrow effective skill set - essentially running with the ball and attempting take-ons. Beyond these attributes, his profile shows concerning deficiencies across multiple crucial areas.

At 23 years old (born 2002), Sulemana sits just outside peak age, theoretically offering room for development. However, his 1,800 minutes last season at Southampton came while dealing with injury issues - a somewhat recurring theme throughout his young career that adds another layer of concern to this acquisition.

The Southampton connection becomes relevant here, as Sulemana produced these numbers under Juric's guidance for approximately half the season. If this represents his ceiling under his new coach, the outlook appears troubling.

Technical Deficiencies

The data reveals glaring weaknesses that should concern any team investing significant money in his services. Sulemana's shot map exposes a player fundamentally lacking in finishing ability. His shooting positions and selection suggest someone far from the clinical edge required at the point Atalanta is – on the edge to try and win the Serie A.

His assist map provides slightly more optimism but is still concerning even though probably influenced by playing at Southampton.

The Bright Spot:

Sulemana does demonstrate genuine ability in entering the penalty box with the ball through direct running. Even at Southampton, he managed to consistently advance into dangerous areas via his carrying ability quite a lot in the team context.

The most striking and recognized aspect of Sulemana's game involves his sheer volume of take-on attempts. His position in the dribbling distribution charts shows someone who consistently attempts to beat opponents through individual skill.

And he’s still good if we go and look at take-ons from a standstill, which pretty hard to perform.

The Case Against This Transfer

Several factors combine to make this signing questionable. Sulemana appears limited beyond his pace and dribbling, with poor shooting and marginal creative output representing significant concerns. His injury history adds durability questions, while his price tag of €17+ million suggests there could be alternatives out there. Perhaps most concerning, these numbers came under Juric at Southampton - if this represents his coached performance level, expecting dramatic improvement seems optimistic even in a different and less talented league than the Premier.

Before completely dismissing this move, context demands acknowledging Atalanta's very good transfer record. The club has rarely missed on significant signings, demonstrating remarkable ability to identify and develop talent that others overlook.

Southampton's overall dysfunction could have masked Sulemana's true potential. Playing in a relegation-battling team with poor structure and low confidence might have artificially suppressed his output. Additionally, Atalanta likely possesses physical and tracking data that could uncover other elements that I’m completely blind too here. Nonetheless this signing leaves me unconvinced.

However, I remain open to being proven wrong for now, my assessment remains overall negative.