AC Monza pursuing loan deal for Italian-Nigerian defender from Atalanta

The Italian Nigeria star who plays for the Italian youth team has earlier piqued the interest of Jose Peseiro.

Serie A club AC Monza is actively working on finalizing a loan agreement for Caleb Okoli, an Italian-born player of Nigerian descent who currently plays for Atalanta, Soccernet.ng reports.

Okoli, who has represented Italy at the U19 and U21 levels, is also eligible to play for Nigeria, having yet to earn a senior cap for the Italian national team.

The 22-year-old talented centre-back made 17 league appearances for Atalanta last season, following a loan spell at Cremonese the previous year.

It appears that he will likely be loaned out again for the upcoming season, with negotiations progressing positively between the two clubs, as noted by Gazzetta dello Sport.

In the meantime, Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has expressed his admiration for Okoli, considering him as a potential addition to the squad as they prepare for the AFCON tournament in 2023.

Despite playing for the Italian youth team, Okoli could be convinced to switch allegiances to Nigeria, especially with the influence of Ademola Lookman, who also plies his trade in Italy with Atalanta.

Both Atalanta and Monza are based in Lombardy, a region in the northern-central part of Italy. The two clubs reportedly enjoy a strong relationship, which may facilitate the potential loan deal for Okoli as he seeks further development opportunities in his career.