Chelsea is currently in negotiations to sign 18-year-old defender Honest Ahanor from Atalanta. The Premier League club's interest in the Italian emerged when they acquired right-back Marco Palestra from the Serie A team in July.
Atalanta is reportedly willing to sell Ahanor if their valuation of 40 million euros, approximately £34.3 million, is met. Ahanor, primarily a left-back, joined Atalanta from Genoa last summer on a three-year contract for a reported fee of 16 million euros, with an additional 4 million euros in add-ons.
Last season, Ahanor established himself as a regular starter for Atalanta, making 28 appearances in Serie A. He also made his Champions League debut in September during a 2-1 victory over Club Brugge. In May, he received a call-up to the Italian national team for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been active in squad building since taking over in July. He has already signed England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a club-record £117 million and added experienced Premier League players Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson. The team is preparing to face Brighton at home in the Premier League on Sunday, following their opening-day 3-2 victory against Fulham on Monday.