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Five Serie A summer transfers that went under the radar

By jc

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2019/01/21: Players of Juventus FC celebrate at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus Fc and Ac Chievo Verona.Juventus Fc wins 3-0 over Ac Chievo Verona. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2019/01/21: Players of Juventus FC celebrate at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus Fc and Ac Chievo Verona.Juventus Fc wins 3-0 over Ac Chievo Verona. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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luis muriel atalanta
Atalanta’s Colombian forward Luis Muriel kicks the ball during the Italian Serie A football match Atalanta vs Torino on September 1, 2019, at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma. (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP) (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images) /

Luis Muriel, Atalanta

Atalanta was the Cinderella story of Serie A last season. The club finished third in the league, ahead of richer clubs like Inter, Milan, and Roma. With that result, Atalanta qualified for the Champions League for the first time.

To handle the rigors of the Serie A and Champions League schedules, Atalanta needed reinforcements. The club’s biggest signing was Luis Muriel for $20 million.

The 28-year-old Muriel has a lot of experience in Serie A. He scored six goals last season on loan with Fiorentina. Before that, Muriel had spells with Udinese, Sampdoria, and Lecce.

Muriel fits best in the center of an attack, either as a striker or an attacking midfielder behind the striker. He possesses great pace with the ball, and he is not afraid to shoot on goal. It’s no surprise that Muriel joins Atalanta with 45 Serie A goals under his belt.

Muriel will partner with Duvan Zapata. Zapata led Atalanta with 28 goals in all competitions last season. He and Muriel combine to form one of the top attacking pairs in Serie A. Each player, in fact, has two goals in two games this season.

In addition, Muriel’s presence takes pressure off of Papu Gómez and Josip Iličić. Both players played more than 35 games last year, and now they face an expanded schedule with the Champions League. Since they are each 31 years old, they’ll need some additional rest to stay fresh throughout the season.

Muriel isn’t the star talent he was at Udinese, but he will be an important piece for Atalanta. If he has another solid year, Atalanta can finish in the top four of Serie A once again.

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