Atalanta ready to raise Rowe offer to €40m, as Chelsea buy Ahanor

Atalanta are ready to offer €40m for Bologna winger Jonathan Rowe, funded by the sale of Honest Ahanor to Chelsea for €48m and Conference League qualification.

La Dea have been chasing Rowe for most of the summer and saw several proposals turned down, as Bologna feel they cannot sell another top player after losing Santiago Castro to Roma and Jhon Lucumi to Juventus.

Atalanta edge closer to Rowe

There are now two developments that can shift the situation, because this evening Atalanta beat Hapoel Tel-Aviv 1-0 on aggregate to guarantee qualification to the Conference League.

Before that match kicked off in Hungary, director of sport Cristiano Giuntoli told Sky Sport Italia about the state of negotiations for the sale of Ahanor to Chelsea.

“Don’t say anything unless it’s in the bag. We are talking to Chelsea, tomorrow could be a very important day,” said Giuntoli.

It is widely reported that a deal has been reached to sell the teenage defender for €48m including add-ons, even though Chelsea are likely to immediately loan him out to another Premier League side.

Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia are confident these two developments will allow Atalanta to go all in for Rowe, offering around €40m including performance related bonuses.

Bologna are starting to consider the possibility, as they have looked at Albert Gudmundsson of Fiorentina as a potential replacement for the English winger.

So far, however, the Rossoblu are in no hurry to let this move go through.