The ins and outs at Bayern Munich’s academy continue to mount. After Maurice Krattenmacher left for SV Elversberg while Grayson Dettoni and Paul Scholl remained at their respective 2. Bundesliga clubs, it is Ljubo Puljić’s turn to find a move. The defender seemed set to leave months ago due to his contract expiring in 2026, but Bayern managed to extend his contract by another year. Therefore, any departure this summer would net Bayern a transfer fee.
Atalanta Bergamo were already heavily linked with
a move for the U-19 Croatian defender and now it is official. Atalanta’s official website confirmed the news:
Atalanta BC announces the permanent acquisition of Ljubo Puljić from Bayern Munich, who will join the Atalanta U23 squad on July 1st.
A Croatian central defender born on May 31, 2007 in Vinkovci, Puljić developed in the youth academies of Cibalia and Osijek before moving to Bayern Munich in 2023, where he continued his development until reaching the Bavarian second team.
Last season, he played for Bayern Munich II, a team competing in the Regionalliga, the fourth tier of German football, making 15 appearances. He also made his UEFA Youth League debut, appearing in the match against Arsenal.
A 194cm tall left-footed centre-back, he is a member of Croatia’s youth teams and has made numerous appearances for his country’s Under-19 national teams, up to the current U19 level, with which he qualified for the final phase of the European Championship in that category.
The Club welcomes Ljubo, wishing him every success in his personal and team career with the Nerazzurri.
Simultaneously, Bayern’s official website announced the transfer:
Defender Ljubo Puljić (born May 31, 2007) is leaving FC Bayern a year before his contract expires and moving to Italy to join Atalanta Bergamo. The Croatian youth international arrived at the Bayern campus from NK Osijek in the summer of 2023 and made 15 appearances for the reserves and three for the U19 team last season.
Jochen Sauer, Director of Youth Development: “Ljubo has been given the opportunity to take the next step in his development towards becoming a professional footballer at a Serie A club. We thank him for his commitment to our youth teams and wish him all the best and much success for his personal and sporting future at Atalanta Bergamo.”
BFW Analysis
This is has the potential to be a good transfer for all parties.
Bayern signed Puljić as a 15-year-old from Croatian club NK Osijek in 2023 for a big fee, rumored to be close to €3 million. At the time, the investment seemed reasonable as the defender had and continues to have a lot of qualities that the club decided to invest in. He was always incredibly tall for his age and has a good leap on him, making him extremely proficient in the air. His defending principles are also strong, as he always keep a good eye on what happens around him and does all the fundamentals really well. A physically dominant center back with such defensive qualities is quite rare.
However, it quickly became apparent that he was not really suited for Bayern’s front foot, possession based, high line football. Puljić is rather slow and a more passive defender, happier to stand off his opponents rather than win the ball high. Additionally, he is never more than solid on the ball. Considering Bayern wish to have defenders that can build up play from the back, win the ball high and cover a lot of ground quickly, Puljić just did not fit Bayern’s style.
He had his great games in a Bayern shirt, including an arguable MoTM performance in the U-19 UEFA Youth League against favorites Real Betis. But it is perhaps no surprise that Bayern struggled to hold the ball in this game and were forced to defend close to their penalty area. In these situations, Puljić shines.
Which is why the move to Atalanta could work for everyone. Atalanta are not the kind of team that sits back and waits for the opponent to come to them, but they still pride themselves in a quality defensive performance and, since the departure of Gian Piero Gasperini, are not as extremely bent on gegenpressing like Bayern are. If the U-23s play the same way, Puljić could thrive there and could still make the step up to the first team.
Bayern get a transfer fee that goes some way to offset the money they spent on Puljić and offload a player that does not suit their style, Atalanta get a very talented defender and Puljić joins a team that suits him more. As it stands, it seems like a transfer that suits everyone very well.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- New, improved notifications system!
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
