Atalanta have shifted their focus in the transfer market after Celtic reportedly 'increased their asking price' for midfielder Matt O’Riley.
The Serie A club has opted to secure Lazar Samardzic from Udinese instead.
Reports indicate that Atalanta has reached an agreement with Udinese for Samardzic, who has already arrived in Bergamo for medical examinations and is set to sign a contract lasting until 2028, with an option for an additional year.
Initially, Atalanta had prioritised signing Denmark international O’Riley for the attacking midfield position - particularly because Teun Koopmeiners is on the brink of joining Juventus.
However, after extended negotiations with Celtic, including five rejected offers, they opted to withdraw their interest in the 23-year-old.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Celtic recently increased their financial demands for O’Riley to €30million plus add-ons.
In response, Atalanta quickly sought alternatives and finalised the deal for Samardzic within just a few days.
Sky Sport Italia state that the transfer fee for Samardzic is €20m with an additional €5m in potential add-ons.
