Atalanta are preparing for life without Teun Koopmeiners and, in addition to Matt O’Riley, they have kicked the tires on Lazar Samardzic. They’d like to nab the former before signing off on the departure of their ace, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
Celtic Glasgow continues to drive a hard bargain since Brighton are keen too. However, the parties have gotten increasingly closer. La Dea’s latest proposal amounts to €27M. The counterparty demands a couple more million.
O’Riley favors Atalanta over Brighton, but the execs of the Serie A side have started tracking Lazar Samardzic in case the deal falls through or they opt to make two additions. The Bergamaschi reached out to Udinese to ask about the conditions to sign the Serb, Matteo Moretto reports (via SOSFanta).
In the meantime, Juventus raised their bid for Koopmeiners, as the previous one wasn’t enough. They have put €52M plus €9M add-ons on the table, getting close to the €60M threshold. The teams are discussing the terms of the bonuses and the payment structure, Corriere dello Sport relays.
Our Take on Atalanta, O’Riley, and Samardzic
It has become a battle of optics for the Dutch maestro. They are making the Bianconeri sweat and probably take it past the opener just because, but the talks are very advanced. It’d be interesting to see if the Serb reached his full potential in Gian Piero Gasperini’s capable hands, but they usually go for grittier, more muscular, and less mercurial players. Plus, they have already snapped up Marco Brescianini, who can star as a no.10 in a pinch.
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