Mattia Caldara (born 5 May 1994) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Atalanta, on loan from Juventus, and the Italy national under-21 team.
Born in Bergamo, Caldara began his career with hometown club Atalanta, entering in the youth categories.He played for the Primavera team from 2011 to 2014,[2] (2013–14 season as an overage player), and on 5 May 2014, Caldara made his professional debut coming on as a second-half substitute in a Serie A match against Catania. On 3 July 2014, he was loaned to Serie B side Trapani to gain more experience. On 10 July 2015, Caldara was signed by Serie B side Cesena on a temporary deal, with an option to purchase. After impressing on his return to Atalanta, Caldara cemented a first-team place. On 12 January 2017, Juventus announced that they had signed Caldara to a four-and-a-half-year contract for an initial transfer fee of €15 million, rising to a potential €25 million with add-ons. The deal also included a free loan which meant that he will remain at Atalanta until 30 June 2018. In June 2017, Caldara was included in the Italy under-21 squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship by manager Luigi Di Biagio. |
