Brighton express interest in signing Italy U21 talent Ahanor from Atalanta
Quick summary
Brighton have expressed interest in signing Atalanta's Italy Under-21 talent Ahanor, though a deal has not yet been completed.
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Attributed to original sourceReports in Italy claim that Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion have registered an interest in signing Atalanta and Azzurrini talent Honest Ahanor this summer.
Brighton express interest in Italy talent Ahanor According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sport in Italy, representatives from Brighton have been in Milan over the last few days for a series of meetings, and in that time, the topic of signing Ahanor from Atalanta has come up in conversations.
No formal negotiations have taken place as things stand, and Di Marzio suggests that it will not be straightforward to haggle with Atalanta this summer. That is because La Dea are not pressed to sell players to raise funds given that they are set to sell Marco Palestra to Chelsea in a €60m package and Ederson to Manchester United for a total sum of €45m.
Ahanor has only been with Atalanta for one season and remains under contract until the summer of 2028.
BERGAMO, ITALY – MAY 02: Honest Ahanor of Atalanta BC in action challenges for the ball with Vitinha of Genoa FC during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Genoa CFC at Gewiss Stadium on May 02, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) Atalanta paid €20m to sign a then-17-year-old Ahanor from Genoa last summer, making him the second-most expensive Italian 17-year-old of all time.
The teenager made 35 appearances in the Atalanta back line across all competitions in 2025-26, including 22 outings in Serie A and nine in the Champions League.
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What happened
Brighton are reportedly keen on acquiring Ahanor, a young Italian Under-21 international currently at Atalanta. The interest signals Brighton's continued recruitment strategy of targeting promising young players from top European leagues. Atalanta, known for developing and selling young talent, would be the selling club. No fee or timeline has been confirmed at this stage, and the deal remains at the expression-of-interest phase.
Chance analysis
This is a typical Brighton recruitment pattern — identifying high-upside young players from established development pipelines like Atalanta's. For Atalanta, losing a U21 international represents a potential talent drain but also a revenue opportunity consistent with their business model. For Brighton, adding an Italy youth international would strengthen their squad depth and long-term project. The transfer is not yet advanced, so it has limited immediate impact on upcoming fixtures.
Ahanor's potential departure would weaken Atalanta's youth depth, while Brighton would gain a promising young player if a deal is completed.
Monitor Brighton's squad for potential new arrivals; Atalanta may be open to selling if the offer is right, which could affect their preseason planning.