Atalanta remain confident they can get a deal done for Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, but only after the European Super Cup with Real Madrid and probable Teun Koopmeiners move to Juventus.
The Denmark international has been linked with numerous clubs this summer, including Juve and Southampton, though so far nobody has come close to the asking price of circa €20-25m.
La Gazzetta dello Sport insist that Atalanta have set their sights firmly on the 23-year-old and trust they can bridge the gap with Celtic over the transfer fee.
Their most recent proposal was €17m and a new bid is set to go higher, but a special date is emerging.
Koopmeiners key to O’Riley
There had already been reports last night that Koopmeiners would only be released for Juventus in a deal worth €50m plus €5m in add-ons after playing the European Super Cup against Real Madrid on August 14.
When he has been sold, that will give La Dea the extra funds to go all-in for O’Riley too.
It is believed that, much like Koopmeiners, his versatility is what most intrigued coach Gian Piero Gasperini.