Atalanta has become one of the smartest teams in Europe, netting €500 million from selling young players!

On May 23, Gasperini led Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, Ireland, winning the Europa League and making history for the club.

This marks the first major trophy for the Serie A team, ending Leverkusen's unbeaten record this season.

Before this match, Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen had remained undefeated for 51 consecutive games.

How much has Atalanta earned from selling players?

Over the past five seasons, Atalanta has made substantial earnings by selling young players to major Italian teams and even directly to wealthy Premier League clubs.

Some of these players are well-known to Premier League fans, such as Rasmus Højlund and Cristian Romero, who transferred to Manchester United and Tottenham for €73.9 million and €50 million, respectively.

Amad Diallo (€21.3 million to Manchester United) and Dejan Kulusevski (€37 million to Juventus) also played for Atalanta, along with many other young talents.

Thus, since the 2019/20 season, over the past five seasons, the Serie A club's net income from player sales has reached €521 million.

This figure ranks eighth in all of European football and second among all Italian teams.

Comparing this number with Atalanta's player signing expenditure during the same period (€370 million), Atalanta's transfer balance stands at +€152 million.

This is the ninth highest return rate in European football and the highest player trading profit in Italian football.

Why is Atalanta so adept at developing young players?

Whether it's Amad Diallo, Cristian Romero, or Rasmus Højlund, Atalanta has repeatedly demonstrated that they know how to develop young players correctly.

Atalanta boasts an excellent youth training system, one of the best in Italy, along with a world-class scouting network.

More importantly, Atalanta has maintained a consistent football style over the years, so their scouts and sports directors are well aware of the characteristics players must possess to succeed at Atalanta.

Moreover, the peaceful environment here, with less pressure, helps players grow and develop calmly.

Unlike most top-tier Italian league teams, Atalanta is one of only two teams in Serie A that uses an U23 youth team in the lower leagues.

This youth team provides a valuable opportunity for young players to participate in high-level matches, significantly accelerating their development and preparing them for Atalanta's first team.

Last summer, Atalanta poached Roberto Samaden, regarded as the best youth coach in Italian football, from Inter Milan, showing that Atalanta is heavily investing in youth development.

If the profits from the transfer window are any indication, they are evidently doing an excellent job.