As Teun Koopmeiners closes in on a transfer to Juventus, Atalanta are racing to find a centre-midfielder replacement.
The Serie A club are currently waiting for Celtic's next stance on Matt O’Riley’s future while also considering Udinese’s Lazar Samardzic as an alternative option.
Koopmeiners' move is expected to be finalised this week for around €59million, prompting Atalanta to act quickly.
They have made five bids for O’Riley, the latest being £21.5m. Celtic have rejected every single one of them, however according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Scottish Premiership giants have now lowered their asking price to around £25m, bringing the two clubs closer to a deal.
The report claims Atalanta chiefs are hesitant to increase their offer and are exploring other avenues, including Samardzic, who was previously linked to AC Milan, until the "exhausting" saga is complete.
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With the transfer window closing in just over two weeks' time, Atalanta aims to strengthen their midfield for the upcoming season in the Italian top-flight.
Celtic have their own man in mind should O'Riley depart Parkhead, and there's talk that the Augsburg star has already informed his friends that he wants the transfer to happen.
Arne Engels is the name, and the 20-year-old midfielder is already attracting interest from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes.
Although, it’s thought that he would prefer to choose Celtic due to the opportunity to play Champions League football under Brendan Rodgers.
Last season Engles made 33 appearances, scoring three goals and providing five assists.
