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The transfer market window is over in Italy, but that’s not the case worldwide, which might lead to more deals in the coming weeks. Orlando City are pursuing Luis Muriel, whose contract with Atalanta will run out at the end of the season, Matteo Moretto reports (via SOSFanta).

The two parties are negotiating but aren’t necessarily in a hurry. The MLS side has until April to complete the acquisition. At this stage, the striker has turned down the proposal because he wasn’t thrilled by its terms.

Muriel would like to obtain a longer deal, a three-year one, from Orlando City if he were to leave Atalanta midseason. It’s also possible that he’ll transfer at the end of the campaign when he’ll be out of contract. Instead, his renewal is improbable.

La Dea might have a bigger interest in the Colombian switching sides sooner, as they’d receive a small fee rather than lose him for nothing. The striker was mildly attached to Inter during the past session, as Alexis Sanchez wasn’t a lock to stay.

Our Take on Muriel and Orlando City

Even though he was still electrifying for a stretch last month, Atalanta surely aren’t short on attackers. AFCON won’t last much longer, and they’ll start integrating El Bilal Touré sooner rather than later. He wouldn’t get as much as in the MLS if he stayed in Serie A, but he has the ideal traits to serve as a deputy striker in a top team.

This article first appeared on The Cult of Calcio and was syndicated with permission.

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