Leonardo Balerdi, an Argentine central defender from Marseille, is also a candidate for Atalanta, remaining in the background.

Atalanta is considering Leonardo Balerdi to strengthen their defense.

Leonardo Balerdi is a top preference for Atalanta, who are considering the Argentine defender with an Italian passport to strengthen their defense. However, Atalanta has not yet made an offer to Marseille. Marseille is waiting for the official appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as coach before proceeding with any operations. Balerdi is highly regarded by the Italian coach, and Marseille is even considering offering the player a one-year contract extension, moving the expiration from 2026 to 2027. Atalanta is aware of Marseille's demands: they want 20 million euros, but without an extension, they might settle for 14-16 million.