Brighton & Hove Albion have submitted a formal bid of approximately €34 million (£30 million) for Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, escalating their pursuit of the highly regarded teenage centre-back.

Transfer insiders Ben Jacobs and Alex Crook confirmed that the Premier League club have turned their earlier interest into a concrete offer for the Nigerian-born defender.

Instant profit for Atalanta

Atalanta would stand to make an immediate return on their investment should they accept Brighton's approach. The Bergamo side brought Ahanor to northern Italy from Genoa for €20 million last summer, a fee that made him the second-most expensive Italian 17-year-old in football history.

Now 18, Ahanor has done little to cool interest in his services. He has registered 41 senior appearances across all competitions, nine of which came in the UEFA Champions League — a remarkable achievement for a player his age.

Italy call-up adds to Ahanor's profile

His development took another notable step earlier this month when he received his first senior Italy call-up under interim coach Silvio Baldini. Ahanor featured in friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece, playing within a squad composed largely of Under-21 players.

Despite the appeal of a move to the Premier League, it is far from certain that Brighton's offer will persuade Atalanta to sell. The club are in a strong financial position, with deals for Marco Palestra to Chelsea and Ederson to Manchester United set to generate around €105 million in combined transfer income — leaving them with little urgency to cash in on Ahanor.