Atalanta see Samardzic as O’Riley alternative if Celtic turn down last bid | OneFootball

With Teun Koopmeiners on the verge of joining Juventus, Atalanta are waiting for Celtic’s response on Matt O’Riley, but also working on Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic as an alternative.

Multiple sources today are confident that a deal will be done to take Koopmeiners to Turin for circa €59m including add-ons, spread out over several years.

With the sale imminent, La Dea need to get hold of a replacement and their first choice has clearly been O’Riley.

They have seen three different offers turned down by Celtic and are waiting for the response on the fourth, worth €27m.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Scottish side have lowered their demands to just €29m, so they are very close to an agreement for the Danish international.

However, Atalanta do not seem prepared to go any higher than their latest bid and are now looking around at alternatives.

Atalanta look at Samardzic and O’Riley

Transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano claims they have made contact with Udinese to ask after Samardzic, who had already been in talks for a move to Milan this summer.

The 22-year-old Serbia international was also linked with Lazio, Juventus and Napoli in recent months, but never managed to finalise a move, famously seeing the switch to Inter collapse last year for trying to boost his personal terms after a medical.