Atalanta closing in on Marten de Roon but Middlesbrough determined to keep hold of star man
Dutchman reportedly agrees deal for Serie A return but Garry Monk wants him to spearhead promotion charge
ATALANTA are reportedly closing in on a deal for Marten de Roon to return to the Serie A side – but Middlesbrough are determined to keep their star.
The Dutch midfielder impressed during his first campaign at The Riverside following his arrival last summer despite the club’s relegation.
are claiming that he has already agreed a four-year contract to go back to his former employers.
But new Boro boss Garry Monk wants the 26-year-old to help secure an instant return to the top-flight and will only sell if they can at least recoup the money the Teessiders spent on him 12 months ago.
The North East side splashed out an initial £8.8million to bring him to Teesside from Atalanta.
He went on to score five goals in 35 matches, which led to Boro paying a further £900,000 due to an appearance clause in the deal.
De Roon’s performances led to him making his international debut for Holland in November.
Anchored alongside Adam Clayton in front of the defence in a strong starting XI, he produced another assured display as Boro defeated Bundesliga side Augsburg 2-1 in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday.
CATCH-UP WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM PROMOTION HOPEFULS MIDDLESBROUGH
And that suggests that Monk plans to keep the same pairing for the Championship opener against fellow big-spenders Wolves this weekend.
Fellow Italian outfit Lazio have also shown an interest in him.
But it seems the latest claims suggest that he has his heart set on returning to his old side.
Atalanta are keen to bolster their squad ahead of the upcoming campaign after qualifying for the Europa League.
