Sporting upped the bid for Sergi Altimira, but got knocked back | OneFootball

Sporting have not given up on Sergi Altimira and have taken an important step in trying to secure the signing of the Betis midfielder in this summer transfer window, although the response was not quite what the club led by Frederico Varandas had hoped for.

According to information from newspaper A Bola, Sporting’s board submitted a formal offer of €14 million, plus a further €2 million in add-ons, in a clear attempt to convince the Spaniards. Despite the green-and-white side’s approach, Betis rejected the initial offer, largely due to the strong competition for the player.

Leipzig have also entered the race for the 24-year-old midfielder and have already held direct talks with the player and his agent in a meeting held in Seville. Even so, there is still hope at Alvalade of getting the deal done. Sporting believe the transfer could be completed for a fee of around €20 million, taking advantage of the Spaniards’ need to generate funds by the end of June in order to meet the requirements imposed by La Liga.

Sergi Altimira is seen as a very interesting option for Rui Borges’ midfield, especially because of his physical ability, quality in build-up play and room for development. This season, the Spaniard made 39 appearances for Betis, scoring two goals and providing three assists.

Despite their persistence over the 24-year-old midfielder, Sporting continue to work in parallel on other options for the middle of the park. Pedro Lima, Issa Doumbia and João Palhinha remain on Sporting’s board’s shortlist, with the Portugal international still dreaming of a return to Alvalade.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.