Celtic’s new demands for O’Riley pushed Atalanta to sign Samardzic | OneFootball

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Celtic have further raised their asking price for Matt O’Riley, pushing Atalanta to sign Lazar Samardzic instead.

Atalanta have reached an agreement to sign Samardzic from Udinese and the Serbia international has already arrived in Bergamo to undergo medical tests and sign a contract until 2028 with an option for a further campaign.

It is no secret that Atalanta’s priority for the attacking midfield role was Denmark international O’Riley, but after weeks of negotiations with Celtic, La Dea decided to drop the 23-year-old.

Celtic’s new demands for O’Riley pushed Atalanta to sign Samardzic

According to Gazzetta, the Scottish club recently raised their economic demands for O’Riley, asking for €30m plus add-ons.

Therefore, Atalanta decided to look for alternatives and closed the deal with Udinese in a few days.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Samardzic will move to the Gewiss Stadium for €20m plus €5m add-ons.

Gazzetta reports that despite Samardzic’s imminent purchase, Atalanta still hope to persuade Koopmeiners to stay at the club beyond the summer and snub a move to Juventus.