Following media speculation, the Italian club confirmed the centre-back has terminated his contract, with the Sevilla loanee his replacement
Martin Skrtel has terminated his Atalanta contract by mutual consent less than a month after joining from Fenerbahce and has been replaced by Simon Kjaer on deadline day.
Skrtel, 34, is reported to have fallen out with coach Gian Piero Gasperini regarding slow first-team integration and the two parties agreed to end their association just 24 days after the defender joined.
The former Liverpool defender had spent the three previous seasons at Turkish giants Fenerbahce before departing the club on a free transfer this summer.
Previously, Skrtel enjoyed a nine-year spell at Anfield, which saw him claim one trophy, the 2011-12 League Cup.
He also finished as a runner-up for the Premier League title in both 2008-09 and 2013-14, while missing out on a Europa League crown as Liverpool fell to Sevilla in the 2016 final.
Skrtel featured in the Champions League in two of his three seasons at Fenerbahce, and appeared set to return to the tournament with Atalanta, who will appear in the competition for the first time in their history this season.
However, if he does feature in the Champions League, it will not be with Atalanta, as their partnership has come to an abrupt end.
A statement from the club simply stated: ”Atalanta BC announces that it has consensually terminated the contract with Martin Skrtel.”
Atalanta moved efficiently to secure a replacement, however, with Denmark international Kjaer arriving on loan from Sevilla, where he had spent two seasons.
Although generally first choice at the back in those two campaigns, the signings of Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos saw Kjaer fall down the pecking order and he becomes the third player to swap Sevilla for Atalanta in this window after Luis Muriel and Guilherme Arana.
Kjaer is the 19th player to leave Sevilla since Monchi’s return as sporting director, while they added a 13th new signing of this window with the deadline-day acquisition of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Bounou arrives on loan from Girona with a purchase option.
Atalanta had mixed fortunes their opening two Serie A games of the season, winning one and losing one, and return from the international break against Genoa on September 14.
They will then face Dinamo Zabreb midweek, the first of their matches in Champions League Group C, which also includes Manchester City and Shakhtar.