Notts County has confirmed that Alassana Jatta has left the club in order to join Liga Portugal side Casa Pia.
The Gambian international has been the subject of plenty of interest heading into the summer, with the most advanced bid prior to his move coming from Danish side Horsens, who tabled a reported £425,000 bid to the Magpies.
Sale Confirmed
However, speculation around his future grew over the past day, after Jatta’s agent, Modou Lamin Beyai, posted a picture on social media of him in Portugal.
Now, it has since been confirmed by Notts County that Jatta has moved to Casa Pia for an undisclosed fee, bringing to an end a two-and-a-half-year stint at Meadow Lane.
In a statement from co-owners Chris and Alex Reedtz alongside Director of Football Richard Montague published on the club website, they said:
“While we would have gladly retained Alassana’s services for the forthcoming campaign, it has become clear that he sees his future elsewhere.
“During his time with us, we have rejected several bids which did not meet our valuation – however we feel this latest offer represents fair value and he therefore moves on with our thanks and best wishes for the future.”
County have already moved to recruit a new striker this window, having already confirmed the signing of Luka Smyth from Finnish side VPS, with the Australian forward yet to appear for the club in their pre-season preparations.
Bittersweet Exit For Jatta
While the wounds of his exit may be fresh for some in the Notts County fanbase, it cannot be understated what Alassana Jatta did for the club over the past two and a bit years.
Having immediately hit his stride upon arrival from Viking, he looked a cut above many other forwards in League Two, and finally under the watch of Martin Paterson, was able to finally help the club back into League One with a goal in the playoff final against Salford City.
A sale has been inevitable perhaps since January, and with Matthew Dennis also leaving in order to join Burton Albion, it leaves a lot of pressure on new forward Luka Smyth, who has never been tested in the EFL before.
Some may be angry at the way that Jatta’s departure has come about, but ultimately his contributions will certainly overshadow the loss of such a beloved figure at Meadow Lane.
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