Hugo Viana given €40M transfer dilemma as Serie A side open door to 2026 sale | OneFootball

Serie A side Udinese have reportedly set a starting price for their sought-after attacking midfielder Arthur Atta amid interest from Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola and co have been scouting the market on a regular basis as the January transfer window nears, with Atta flourishing in Italy and attracting the Premier League side.

The 22-year-old would be a significant addition to Guardiola’s system – given the Catalan has relied heavily on Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to play the majority of games so far this season.

The Frenchman plays primarily as a versatile midfielder who can play at either end of the pitch and is known for his strong dribbling skills and physical presence – he can additionally play as a striker at times which undoubtedly supplements Guardiola’s philosophy.

The Manchester City boss is no stranger to shifting his players into positions he deems them best-fitted, previously converting the likes of John Stones and Rico Lewis into effective midfielders despite starting their careers as native defenders. 

More recently, Guardiola has often deployed club captain Bernardo Silva in a holding midfield role, though the Portugal international has primarily acted as a right-sided winger since his move from AS Monaco in 2017. 

Having settled plenty of business in the summer under new sporting director Hugo Viana, it is not likely that City will be anywhere near as active come January 2026. However, an approach could ensue for Atta. 

Though Omar Marmoush, Foden and Cherki are all currently fit, Atta could build his reputation in the Premier League after impressing in the Serie A while providing stability for Guardiola, whose squad depth is a concern as of now.

As reported by Messaggero Veneto and relayed by Sport Witness, Udinese will auction off their star midfielder with a starting price of €40 million, which is the Italian club’s targeted selling price as things stand.

Though a move in the next window is unlikely due to Udinese wanting to finish the season with Atta, other clubs have also shown interest – with Barcelona monitoring him alongside neighbouring Serie A clubs AC Milan and Napoli. 

Udinese’s plan is to hope that the player’s value rises to at least €40 million over the next couple of months after scoring once and assisting twice in 11 games in the Italian top-flight.

A delay in his departure could also come down to the former Metz player looking for a new agent having previously been represented by family members – a venture often taken by up-and-coming talents.