According to Italian media footmercato, Thiago Motta is still waiting to accept a new major challenge.

After a glorious experience at Bologna and a turbulent period at Juventus, Motta has been unable to find a new coaching opportunity since March this year, although he has maintained links with Atalanta. The highly sought-after Italian coach is patiently searching for the right project and always harbors ambitions of leading the team to the Champions League.

After his historic breakthrough in Bologna, Motta seems to have a bright future. As the hero who led Bologna to the Champions League unexpectedly, Motta later succeeded Allegri as the head coach of Juventus.

Motta's early performance in Turin was impressive. The Old Lady showed the characteristics of modern football, focusing on ball control and offense. However, the cooperation between the two parties did not last long: a series of poor results and a fierce conflict with sporting director June Toli eventually led to Motta's Juventus career coming to an abrupt end.

After that, Jun Toli also left Juventus, which shows how quickly the football world is changing. In just a few months, Motta went from high-profile rising star coach to a man with no boss. Motta has kept a low profile since being sacked by the Old Lady on March 25.

Despite this, the rumors about Motta have never stopped. In France, Monaco considered him, but the lead cooled with the arrival of Sebastian Poconoli.

In Spain, Real Sociedad also studied the possibility of inviting Motta, when Sergio Francisco was in a difficult situation due to poor record. Recently, there was even news that Poland's Legia Warsaw is interested in Motta, hoping that he can lead a mid- to long-term grand plan.

New rumors emerged this week that both Wolves and Ajax are considering Motta, who is trying to redefine the team's style after months of turmoil and the departure of Heitinga. These rumors prove that the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder's influence still exists, even if he does not currently have an official role.

Atalanta is still the first choice

According to footmercato, Ajax’s interest in Motta is not groundless. The Dutch club does have him on their shortlist and has made initial contacts. However, the first choice of Ajax management is not the former Juventus coach.

Motta himself has made it clear that he hopes to return to Serie A and dreams of finding a stable and European competitive project in the Italian league. He believes that Atlanta is the ideal choice.

Last summer, after Gasperini switched to Roma, the goddess had in-depth contact with Motta. If things get complicated for Ivan Juric, that connection could be revived.

Although Atlanta defeated Marseille in the Champions League this season and performed well, their performance in the league was unsatisfactory, especially after a 0-3 home defeat to newly promoted Sassuolo on Sunday. Juric is under increasing pressure.

It is this expectation for Atlanta that has caused Motta's negotiations with Florence to stall in recent days. Viola eventually chose Paolo Vanoli to replace Stefano Pioli, and Motta was also one of the candidates.

In recent months, Motta has kept a low profile in the media. Away from the spotlight, he and his team of loyal assistants are quietly preparing to return to the court. They turned down multiple offers, preferring to wait for a new challenge that fit their shared ambitions.

At the same time, some national teams such as Serbia and Greece have also explored the possibility of Motta serving as the national team coach, but he still focuses on club projects and firmly believes that his style is more suitable for the league.

It is worth mentioning that Fenerbahce and Red Bull Bragantino also had brief contact with Motta at the beginning of the season. If Serie A cannot open its doors to Motta in the near future, his alternatives are very clear: the Premier League and Ligue 1. The former is due to its tactical requirements and exposure, while the latter is a league he is familiar with and some clubs there may be interested in his coaching style.

What is certain is that Thiago Motta's return is gradually becoming clearer, and the possibility of joining Atlanta before Christmas is still the greatest.