Brighton & Hove Albion have had their opening bid for highly rated Italian defender Honest Ahanor rejected by Atalanta, as the Serie A club remain determined to keep hold of one of their brightest young talents.
According to reports, the Premier League club tabled an offer worth around €34 million (£30 million) for the 18-year-old, but Atalanta turned it down immediately.
Transfer expert Nicolò Schira reports that La Dea value Ahanor at between €40 million and €45 million, meaning Brighton will have to significantly improve their offer if they hope to secure his signature.
Ahanor only joined Atalanta from Genoa last summer in a deal worth €20 million, becoming the second-most expensive Italian 17-year-old in history behind Pietro Pellegri’s move from Genoa to Monaco in 2018.
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The versatile defender enjoyed an impressive breakthrough campaign, making 22 Serie A appearances, including 15 starts.
He also featured nine times in the UEFA Champions League and made four Coppa Italia appearances, underlining his growing importance to the Bergamo club.
Comfortable across the backline, Ahanor has primarily operated on the left side of a three-man defence, but is equally capable of playing as a left-back or central defender in a back four. He has also been deployed as a wing-back on occasion.
His rapid development was rewarded earlier this month when he earned his first senior Italy caps under interim head coach Silvio Baldini, featuring in international friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.
