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Celtic’s continued tough stance over their asking price for Matt O’Riley has been aided by the fact it’s not only Atalanta who want the midfielder.

He’s been doing well in pre-season, which harmed interest, and there’s longstanding interest from Premier League clubs. So it’s clear La Dea can’t continue with their cool approach all summer.

They may well have a purposeful calm in the market, yet if they want the Celtic player then they need to step up a bit. That’s what they’re doing according to Monday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport.

According to the Italian newspaper, after multiple failed offers, ‘there will be contact today’ between Atalanta and Celtic, presumably to try and find some kind of middle ground for O’Riley.

Corriere dello Sport explain Atalanta ‘do not want to lose the advantage’ they’ve built up in recent weeks in the race to sign Brendan Rodgers’ player, and they’re aware of interest from multiple Premier League clubs.

There’s a simple answer to that… just pay up what Celtic are asking for.