Chelsea's new target: Atalanta's Honest Ahanor

Chelsea are looking to prise another name from Atalanta's talent factory this summer transfer window. According to TuttoMercato (TMW), the London side, having just completed the Marco Palestra deal, have now turned to another of the Italian club's young jewels, defender Honest Ahanor. Alongside the Blues, Brighton have also had the player on their radar for some time.

Born in 2008, Ahanor joined Atalanta from Genoa last summer for €16 million and quickly made a striking impact. The young defender featured in 35 matches across competitions last season, including the league, the Champions League and the Italian Super Cup, showing remarkable maturity for his age. Left-footed and able to play both as a centre-back and at left-back, Ahanor is a versatile profile, which is whetting the appetite of Premier League clubs.

The interest in Ahanor is not limited to Chelsea, however. Brighton have already made a formal approach, but their bid of around £34 million was rejected by Atalanta. According to the Italian press, the Bergamo club are in no rush over Ahanor, having generated significant income by selling Ederson and Palestra this summer. The player is under contract until 2028.

On Chelsea's side, the interest is said to align with plans to strengthen the defence under new head coach Xabi Alonso. While no formal offer is on the table at this stage, the player's potential and versatility point to a busy process in the coming weeks, with more than one club potentially entering the race. Atalanta's firm stance indicates that any deal would require a substantial transfer fee.

Source: TuttoMercato

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