Atalanta B.C. are pleased to announce the signing of footballer El Bilal Touré from Union Deportiva Almería on a permanent basis.

El Bilal Touré is a striker of Malian nationality born in the Ivory Coast, on the 3rd of October 2001. After coming through the Ivoire Académie and the Afrique Football Élite, he joined European football in 2020 on the grounds of the solid performances showcased in the Under 20 African Cup of Nations of 2019: yet seventeen, he was a regular of the Mali national team, playing all matches as a starter and also scoring the winning penalty in the semifinals against Nigeria. Owing to his exhibitions in the tournament, he also featured in the top XI of the CAF-branded competition.

Signed by Stade Reims in January 2020, he got promoted from the B team to the first squad’s roster after two matches (and as many goals). On his debut in Ligue 1, he scored the goal to make it 4-1 in the outing against Angers. He began his second campaign in Ligue 1 with another scoring debut: scoring a goal and providing an assist in the 2-2 tie against A.S. Monaco.

After two-and-a-half seasons in France, flaunting 9 goals and 5 assists in 69 matches, he joined U.D. Almería in the summer of 2022, for whom he scored three goals in his first five league appearances. Wrapping up his first spell in La Liga, he registered seven goals and two assists in 21 appearances (plus one in the cup), contributing crucial goals such as the one in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid and, last February, the one in the 1-0 victory over future Spanish champions Barcelona.

He has also imposed himself as a staple of the Mali national team: ever since his first debut in October 2020, he accrued 15 appearances and scored 5 goals, out of which, 3 (in addition to the 2 assists provided) were scored in the latest qualifiers to the African Cup of Nations.

Atalanta B.C. would like to extend a warm welcome to El Bilal Touré and wish him the best of luck in his future personal and team endeavours as a black-and-blue.