Atalanta are not expected to give up in their summer pursuit of Matt O'Riley.
Although Celtic should be able to call upon their star man for at least - if the transfer timeline provided by La Gazzetta dello Sport has some accuracy - another two weeks.
The 2023/24 Celtic Player of the Year's future has continually been discussed during the close-season but the Danish internationalist didn't seem too affected as he helped Celtic secure a hat-trick of victories on their US tour and his manager Brendan Rodgers insisted on Friday that the midfielder was "an ultimate professional" and had no problem continuing to select him amid the speculation.
The ongoing biggest obstacle in Atalanta's, or any club attempting to prize O'Riley away from Glasgow's East End, remains Celtic's valuation of the player and therefore the current distance between the two clubs: Atalanta's latest offer was reportedly €17 million plus three in bonuses, But Celtic won't budge.
O'Riley has attracted interest from several teams from across Europe this summer, notably Juventus and Southampton.
However, none have matched the asking price the Scottish Premiership giants have of around €25 million.
Atalanta appears to be particularly focused on acquiring the 23-year-old and are optimistic about reaching an agreement with Celtic regarding the transfer fee.
Following their newest offer, they are preparing to submit a higher bid, with a significant date approaching. The UEFA Super Cup, which takes place on Wednesday, August 14.
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Atalanta as Europa League winners face Champions League holders, Real Madrid, at the National Stadium in Warsaw and want to hold onto their own superstar Teun Koopmeiners for that clash.
Koopmeiners is then anticipated to move to Juventus, which will pave the way for Atalanta to go all out for O'Riley.
Similar to Koopmeiners, his adaptability is what caught the attention of Atalanta's head coach, Gian Piero Gasperini.
That said, Rodgers' words were very clear a few days ago when he commented on the interest.
"Sometimes a value will come in that’s a lot less," the Celtic boss explained. "I’ve worked in the Premier League, I understand the levels there and the players’ value. No player will leave unless it’s for the right valuation. At this point in time, there’s been no team that’s been anywhere near it."
The report from Italy also added: "Of the various names that Atalanta continues to monitor, that of Matt O'Riley remains the hottest. The Dane from Celtic Glasgow has all the characteristics that can compose the ideal identikit for the club's needs.
"He is young and very ambitious, physically strong, already has a decent curriculum, is a very versatile midfielder and has a good relationship - or so it seems - with goals and also assists."
