Brighton transfer news: ‘£30m bid submitted’ for 18-year-old after three defender exits

Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly made a move for Atalanta BC defender Honest Ahanor.

Defensive reinforcements will be high on the agenda for the Seagulls this summer, following the £52m sale of Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham Hotspur and the departure of fellow centre-back Adam Webster upon the expiration of his contract.

Joel Veltman is also expected to leave when his deal officially runs out next Tuesday, as the right-back is understood to have turned down the offer of a contract extension.

In addition, there is uncertainty over the long-term future of Diego Coppola who spent last season out on loan, while long-serving captain Lewis Dunk will turn 35 later this year.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler is hoping to bolster his squad ahead of the new campaign when Brighton will be juggling domestic duties with Conference League football, after finishing eighth in the Premier League last season.

One player who has emerged as a target is 18-year-old Ahanor, with Ben Jacobs, via fellow journalist Alex Crook, claiming that Brighton have submitted a £30m (€34m) offer for the Atalanta starlet.

As things stand, it is understood that Atalanta do not intend to part ways with Ahanor, who was signed from Genoa last summer for €20m, becoming the second-most expensive Italian 17-year-old of all time.

Ahanor still has two years remaining on his contract with the Serie A club and it would likely take a significantly higher offer to entertain Atalanta into selling the youngster.

Brighton step up Ahanor pursuit amid interest from Europe’s elite

Earlier this year, it was reported that Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea were all closely monitoring Ahanor’s situation and were weighing up a move for the defender.

However, Brighton are seemingly the first team to initiate their pursuit for Ahanor, who enjoyed an impressive breakout season with Atalanta and featured regularly as a senior player.

Primarily a centre-back who is also comfortable operating at left-back, Ahanor made 35 appearances for Atlanta across all competitions, including 22 in Serie A and nine in the Champions League.

A son of Nigerian parents, Ahanor was handed his first senior international cap for the country of his birth, Italy, last month under interim boss of Silvio Baldini, who selected a squad including mostly Under-21 players for friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.

Brighton’s move for Ahanor follows reports that the Seagulls are in negotiations with Spurs over a deal for 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic, with a £45m bid said to be on the table.