Atalanta haven’t got quite the same scattergun approach as some other Serie A clubs in the transfer market. When they find a player they tend to be somewhat fixated and won’t just look for a bargain chance before moving on to the next possibility when that fails.
That’s why they’re still pushing to sign Matt O’Riley from Celtic, despite there being around a €10m gap between what they want to pay and what Brendan Rodgers’ side are asking for.
Sunday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport reports it may take a while for La Dea to agree a deal with Celtic. They very much want 23-year-old O’Riley and have been in contact with the midfielder’s camp.
Talks with his entourage have been positive, with them presumably believing, and understandably so, that it’s a really interesting next step in his career.
Celtic’s initial request was €24m upfront plus a further €3m in potential bonus payment. Atalanta’s own initial effort was €15m plus €3m in bonuses.
Gazzetta say Celtic are ‘adamant’, and there’s a strong hint that Atalanta will return with a better offer to try and get their man.
