Brighton & Hove Albion signed Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona in the summer, as they looked towards Serie A clubs and their emerging talent. It seems like the Seagulls tried to sign another talent from Italy late in the transfer window.
The player in question is Atalanta’s Relja Obric, who is plying his trade with the Bergamo club’s U23s side.
Gazzetta dello Sport report the 19-year-old’s name has been on the shortlist of many scouts and Brighton’s interest in him emerged late on deadline day.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side made a significant offer to sign the young centre-back but Atalanta rejected it quickly.
The Italian side deem Obric to be ‘untouchable’ and their stance is firm as they see a future for him in the first-team.
The talent played 28 times for Atalanta B in Serie C last season and has previously made a mark for their U18s Primavera side, having also earned game time in the UEFA Youth League.
So far this season, Obric has already played two Serie C games and is expected to play a key role in the campaign.
Brighton’s approach on deadline day for the defender shows that they are now keeping a close eye on Italian talents and it will be no surprise if they sign more players from Italy in the future.