Chelsea agree £40m deal for Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor

Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign 18-year-old Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor for a fee of up to £40 million. The Italian teenager has been granted permission to undergo a medical examination in London and has successfully negotiated personal terms with the Premier League club.

Chelsea's interest in Ahanor was first sparked when they signed right-back Marco Palestra from Serie A side Atalanta in July. It remains uncertain whether the club will include the young defender in the plans of new manager Xabi Alonso for the upcoming season. Ahanor's representatives have stated that he could potentially join another Premier League club on loan.

The young defender, who primarily plays as a left-back, made his Serie A debut with Atalanta last summer after joining the club from Genoa in a three-year deal. He was worth 16 million euros, with an additional 4 million euros in add-ons. During the previous season, Ahanor played 28 matches for Atalanta, often starting in defense. He also secured his first appearance in a Champions League match, netting against Club Brugge in a 2-1 victory in September.

In May, Ahanor was called up to the Italian national team for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece. Since taking over as manager in July, Chelsea's Xabi Alonso has been actively strengthening his squad. The club has signed England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a club-record £117 million and has also added Premier League players Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson to the team.

Chelsea will face Brighton at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday after securing a 3-2 victory over Fulham in their opening match on Monday.