Davide Zappacosta move off as Atalanta sign Cristiano Piccini from Valencia

Recent reports claimed that Atalanta were interested in signing Chelsea right back Davide Zappacosta, but it appears that La Dea have had a change of heart at the last minute, and signed Cristiano Piccini on loan from Valencia instead.

It’s unclear why exactly Atalanta pulled out of the deal for Zappacosta, since negotiations were at an advanced stage at one point, but reports seem to hint that Valencia, who are having quite the fire sale, gave better terms on the loan deal as well as a cheaper buy-option.

In any case, with both Fiorentina and Atalanta buying other players not named Zappacosta for their RB/RWB positions, the former Torino man’s options have gotten even more limited than before. It looks like Marina Granovskaia will need to bring her A game to the table to find the 28-year-old right back, who has two more years left on his Chelsea contract, a new (temporary?) home.