Mitchel Bakker leaves Atalanta with immediate effect

Atalanta have terminated Mitchel Bakker's contract by mutual consent with immediate effect. The 26-year-old wing-back is now free to find a new club as a free agent. The club confirmed the news through their official channels.

Bakker's departure had been expected for some time after it became clear he no longer had a future at Atalanta. The former Ajax player had still been under contract with the Serie A club until mid-2027.

Last season, Bakker made just one appearance for Atalanta, partly because of injury problems. In the 2024/2025 season, he was still on loan at Lille, where he registered four goals and three assists in 35 matches.

After coming through Ajax's youth academy, Bakker began his career at the Amsterdam club. The defender eventually made only two appearances for the first team.

Then, in 2019, Bakker joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. The Purmerend-born player made 45 appearances for the Parisian club before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 for €7 million.

Two years later, Atalanta paid Bayer Leverkusen more than €10 million for Bakker's services. The former team-mate of De Roon made 23 appearances in total for the 2024 Europa League winners.

He has yet to win a senior international cap for the Netherlands. He did, however, make 21 appearances for the Netherlands Under-21s.