Brighton & Hove Albion have ‘expressed great appreciation’ for Hellas Verona midfielder Ivan Ilić, but the Italian side’s demands are too high at present.
That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb, who say the €25m asking price for the 21-year-old is too much for the Seagulls.
The website explains that Brighton have ‘approached’ Hellas Verona about the Serbian midfielder, who initially joined the Italian side on loan from Manchester City’s Under 23s before making the move permanent in August 2021.
It seems Brighton have taken notice of him, with TMW reporting that they have been in contact about a potential move.
They are among a host of admirers of the player, of which ‘there is no shortage’, but made their approach ‘in recent days’.
They ‘expressed great appreciation’ in the youngster but made it clear that president Maurizio Setti’s demands for €25m are ‘excessive’ at this point.
Perhaps they will change that stance in the coming weeks, particularly if they were to lose someone like Alexis Mac Allister or Moises Caicedo, who both impressed at the World Cup and have admirers.
They’re still at Brighton for the time being, though, and as such a move for Ilić looks unlikely despite them being fans of the player.
