Martin Skrtel has terminated his Atalanta contract by mutual consent less than a month after joining from Fenerbahce and been replaced by Simon Kjaer on deadline day.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 three previous seasons at Turkish giants Fenerbahce, before departing the club on 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 Škrtel.”