Alexis Saelemaekers to Atalanta
This move fell through. Last report: Fabrizio Romano, 31 August 2026.
Atalanta's interest in Alexis Saelemaekers has hit a wall, and the wall is AC Milan. The 27-year-old Belgian is tied to Milan until June 2031, and the club have decided he stays. Talk of a fee somewhere between €28m and €40m circulated, but no exit is happening. Chairman Gerry Cardinale and coach Amorim both wanted the midfielder to remain, and that settled it. The key voice here is Fabrizio Romano, a benchmark reporter whose word carries real weight. On 31 August 2026 he was blunt: Saelemaekers will not join Atalanta or anyone else, and there is no chance of his exit. When a source of that standing closes the door this firmly, there is little grey area left. So this looks a long shot, and the reason is simple. Milan hold the player on a contract running to 2031 and have chosen not to sell, so no amount of Atalanta ambition changes the picture unless Milan's own stance softens. Right now it has not. For the move to revive, the men who blocked it, Cardinale and Amorim, would need to change their minds. Atalanta know this market well. They paid €30m for a forward from UD Almería, €28m to West Ham in 2023, and €25m to Genoa in 2024, so the fee range floated for Saelemaekers sits comfortably within how they usually operate. The money was never the problem. Milan's refusal is. The next trigger is a shift in Milan's position. Until Cardinale and Amorim signal a willingness to let Saelemaekers go, there is nothing concrete to move this forward.
Who reported it
- Fabrizio Romano, 31 August 2026: 🚨🇧🇪 Alexis Saelemaekers will not join Atalanta or any other club in next 24h. No chance for his exit. AC Milan clearly decided not to allow any exit despite reports; chairman Ge
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