Atletico Madrid have announced the signing of a new left-back, with Matteo Ruggeri arriving from Atalanta. The 22-year-old arrives with the expectation that he will become a starter for Diego Simeone this summer, following the exit of Reinildo Mandava. Javi Galan failed to convince at crunch time this season.
Ruggeri signs from Atalanta in a deal worth €17m plus €2m in variables, as per Marca. They also quote the new Atletico signing as saying that ‘if it was necessary, I would have walked to the Metropolitano.’ He has signed a five-year deal with Los Colchoneros, keeping him in the Spanish capital until 2030, and arrives fresh off the back of the under-21 Euros, where Italy lost in the quarter-final against finalists Germany. He has 16 appearances for the under-21s.
Atalanta academy product
Ruggeri came through the Atalanta academy, and has always operated on the left flank, at times in midfield. Atalanta have tended to play with a back three under Gian Piero Gasperini, and that afforded Ruggeri a position as a left wing-back. It could suggest that Simeone will opt for a back three next season.
Making his debut at the age of 18, following nine years in the Atalanta academy, Gasperini threw him into action against Liverpool. The following summer he moved on loan to Salernitana, where he was a rotational option for the relegation battlers.
Rise to prominence at Atalanta
Ruggeri had a similar role back in Bergamo the following year, but it was in the 2023-24 season that he became an important player for Gasperini. Ruggeri made 48 appearances, racking up 3,658 minutes as Atalanta won the Europa League. He scored twice and managed six assists that year. He started the final against Bayer Leverkusen, as Ademola Lookman ahead of him scored a hat-trick to win it – Ruggeri also grabbed an assist in the semi-final second leg against Olympique Marseille in a 3-0 win.
🤝🇪🇸🇦🇷 Álex Baena: “I really look forward to being coached by Diego Simeone. I know he is very demanding, and I actually like that; they push me, and that brings out the best in me.” pic.twitter.com/TTZHaUK9Oe
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) July 2, 2025
Last season was less productive for Ruggeri, who gave three assists in 38 appearances. That amounted to 2,193 minutes and 24 starts, as Gasperini rotated the left side more often, selecting from increased options.
Ruggeri’s style
He leaves Atalanta after 109 appearances, two goals and 10 assists. Ruggeri stands out for his crossing from the left side. Good in the air on account of his height, his game relies on an ability to get up and down the pitch well, and win battles for the ball – something he became accustomed to doing high up the pitch under Gasperini. He tends to give and go for the ball, rather than attack the opposition defence with it.
Physical in the challenge, Ruggeri competes well, although so far in his career has not been watertight defensively. It will be interesting to see how Simeone adapts him to a back four, or whether he pursues a back three again.
The Inside View on Matteo Ruggeri from Lorenzo Bettoni
Football España also spoke to our colleagues at Football Italia about Ruggeri, and Editor Lorenzo Bettoni had the following to say.
“Matteo Ruggeri is quite young, he plays as left-back, or more accurately a left wing-back in Atalanta’s system which includes three central defenders.”
“The truth is that last season was not as good as the previous one, when he won the Europa League with Atalanta in 2023-24 – he got two goals and six assists that season. It wasn’t necessarily his fault though. Gasperini likes to rotate a lot out wide, and with Atalanta in several competitions, Davide Zappacosta, who is more experienced, had a very good season, and was often preferred.”
“Still, he remains one of the most promising players at his position in Italy, and has improved a lot in terms of his tactical discipline, something that will be important under Diego Simeone. Ruggeri is a player that technically can do both the attacking phase and the defensive phase very well. I’m curious to see how he does. There’s a big battle on the left side for Italy, and Ruggeri is one of the biggest prospects there, and having already been called up a couple of times, he will no doubt be eyeing that spot (with the World Cup next year).”
