Atalanta’s ongoing interest in Matt O’Riley might have moved on as they shifted their focus to Udinese’s attacking midfielder, Lazar Samardzic.
With as many as five bids for O’Riley already rejected by Celtic, Atalanta’s pursuit has not met Celtic’s valuation. It’s said that any Matt O’Riley offer would have to exceed the current record of £25 million for Celtic to consider accepting.
The Serie A club now appears close to securing Samardzic. This signing becomes more likely with Juventus poised to finalise a deal for Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners, prompting Atalanta to find a replacement swiftly. [Fabrizio Romano]
The entrance of Samardzic could effectively end Atalanta’s chase for O’Riley, as doubling down on attacking midfielders this late in the transfer window seems impractical.
Brighton have moved on and so have Southampton. Really, the only club still with one foot in the race is Atletico Madrid, finalising Conor Gallagher is taking time, and they may choose to move on, which could lead them to O’Riley, having tried to sign the player in January.
