Wolfsburg have completed the signing of Danish wingback Joakim Mæhle on a permanent move from Atalanta.
Joakim Maehle will leave Atalanta Bergamo for Germany’s northern city known as the ”Autostadt” on a transfer fee estimated to be €12 million.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Wolfsburg have successfully reached a comprehensive agreement to sign the 26-year-old Joakim Mæhle from Atalanta.
The Danish wingback is leaving the Club after spending 2 and a half seasons there. During his time at the Club, he played in 96 matches across all competitions.
Joakim Mæhle, who is capable of playing on either the left or right side, has scored a total of six goals and contributed seven assists in his 96 appearances for Atalanta.
Additionally, he has made 36 appearances for Denmark, scoring nine goals and providing six assists.
Meanwhile, Wolfsburg had been actively searching for a new fullback due to the underwhelming performance of French player Nicolas Cozza during the training camp.
VfL Wolfsburg’s sporting director, Sebastian Schindzielorz, expressed his satisfaction stating that he is delighted that Joakim has decided to join VfL Wolfsburg.
He mentioned that Joakim is a highly skilled player with experience in both the right and left sides of the defensive line.
Sebastian said: “His quality and experience will greatly benefit the team, and I am confident that we will thoroughly enjoy having him with us in the future.”
Joakim Mæhle also expressed his excitement for the challenge of joining Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga upon his arrival.
The 26-year-old Danish player stated: “Throughout the past few years, I have had the opportunity to acquire a remarkable amount of experience at the highest level in Serie A.”
“I am determined to prove myself in the Bundesliga and I will make every effort to adapt to my new environment as swiftly as possible.”
Upon his exit, Atalanta BC extended their sincerest regards and expressed their gratitude to Joakim on their official website. They wished him all the best for his future endeavors in the Bundesliga.
Meet Wolfsburg’s new signing Joakim Mæhle
Joakim Mæhle Pedersen, born on May 20, 1997, is a talented Danish professional footballer.
He currently signs as a full-back for the Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and represents the Denmark national team.
Joakim Mæhle’s club career
Mæhle was born in Østervrå, Vendsyssel. He began his football journey with the local club Østervrå IF and later joined the AaB youth academy at the age of 12.
On May 9, 2017, AaB officially announced that they had sold Mæhle to Racing Genk, a Belgian club. The transfer fee remains undisclosed, and the transfer was made effective on July 1, 2017.
After spending 3 years with Genk, the club made an announcement stating that Mæhle had officially signed a five-year contract with Atalanta for a transfer fee of €10 million on December 22, 2020.
His International career
Mæhle had his debut for the Denmark national team on 5 September 2020 during a Nations League game against Belgium.
He came on as a substitute for Martin Braithwaite in the 72nd minute of a 2–0 home loss.
He was selected to be part of the national team’s roster for the 2020 UEFA Euro tournament in June 2021. The team performed well and made it to the semi-finals.
Maehle scored the only goal on 12 October 2021, leading Denmark to a victory over Austria and securing their spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.