Notts County have bolstered their attacking ranks with the signing of Gambian international Alassana Jatta for an undisclosed fee.
The striker arrives at Meadow Lane on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Danish club Viborg, who are also majority-controlled by Magpies owners Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz. Jatta scored 21 times in 103 appearances for The Greens since joining in 2019.
He will become the fourth striker in the County frontline that is already joint-top of League Two in terms of goals with Stockport County, led by talisman Macaulay Langstaff and supported by David McGoldrick. Junior Morias and Cedwyn Scott have also played minor roles this season, with the latter still recovering from a long-term knee injury.
Standing at 6’4″, the striker has failed to reach last season’s tally of goals, only netting once in a substitute appearance against FC Copenhagen in late November. Jatta was also part of the Viborg team that won the Danish First Division in 2020/21.
Notts County Recruitment Lead Richard Montague was pleased with the deal, saying to the club: “We’re really excited about the qualities Alassana will bring to our forward line in terms of his stature, pace and power.
“We also feel he has the energy and willingness to press relentlessly from the front, something we demand from all our forwards. Viborg play in a relatively similar way to us, so we feel Alassana can make a quick adaptation to life at Meadow Lane and add fresh impetus to what is already a highly potent attack.”
Magpies fans will have to wait for the forward to make his debut for the club, as he will remain in Denmark until his visa has been finalised.
Writer’s View
Alassana Jatta will add extra depth in the number nine position to support Macaulay Langstaff as well as former Derby County man David McGoldrick for the rest of the season. He arrives as the tallest player to play up front for The Magpies but still has some work to do in the air. According to Fotmob statistics, the Gambian is in the 49th percentile for aerial duels won compared to other strikers in similar leagues.
County have slipped in recent weeks following the departure of Luke Williams to Swansea City. With Stuart Maynard’s reign only just beginning with the draw against Barrow, it will take time for the club to readjust to the new manager. The goals should not change, however, and a strong play-off showing should be the minimum aim for the rest of the season.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
