Manchester United convincing Atalanta to accept their price is absurd, because one would not expect such a competitive elite team to come imploring with an average club to sign their star. You are correct in these words; Italian teams always offer fixed fees for their valuable players. When an EPL club comes looking for a player, the player who piqued the interest of the EPL club becomes an instant star in his club. This is not their first or second time doing this; they've been doing it for quite some time. Don't get me wrong: their players have wonderful traits and a high profile rating, but that doesn't mean they're significantly better than the EPL players in the picture in question.