Official | VfB Stuttgart sign El Bilal Touré on loan from Atalanta

On Friday evening, VfB Stuttgart confirmed the signing of Atalanta striker El Bilal Touré on loan until the end of the season.

It is understood that Sebastian Hoeneß’s side have also been able to secure an option to buy the 22-year-old at the end of the campaign, but should certain criteria be met, their option to buy will turn into an obligation to make the deal permanent.

This would see Stuttgart eventually pay the Serie A outfit €16.5 million, with Atalanta also keeping a 15% sell-on clause in any future deal.

Speaking upon Touré’s arrival, Stuttgart’s director of sport, Fabian Wohlgemuth, remarked: 

“We’ve got a challenging season ahead of us in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the Champions League. As such, we want to be as prepared as possible in terms of personnel. El Bilal Touré is another strong addition to our attack. He has demonstrated his qualities in France, Spain, and most recently in Italy with Atalanta. He’s the type of player we haven’t had before, and his exceptional speed will add another important facet to our attack. We are delighted that he will be wearing the VfB jersey and would like to warmly welcome him to Stuttgart.” 

As well as this, Touré himself commented: 

“‘I’m happy that I’ll be wearing the VfB jersey this season. VfB are a great club with great fans. I’m really looking forward to playing in the Bundesliga and, of course, in the Champions League. And I’m also really looking forward to getting to know my new teammates.”

Last season, Touré featured on 17 occasions for Atalanta, scoring twice in Serie A while also registering a goal in the Europa League, the competition the Italian side would go on to win, defeating Bayer Leverkusen in the final.

GGFN | Will Shopland