Newcastle United’s defence seemed to take a few steps back last season. The Magpies have an ageing backline that could do with some reinforcements, to be honest. Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are both 34 years of age.
In recent weeks, Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Fikayo Tomori. The English centre-back has been a regular feature for AC Milan since joining them from Chelsea in 2021.
There have been suggestions that he could be available for a bargain €20 million transfer fee, with just a year left on his contract. But he is not the only one who could be on the move this summer.
Even more interestingly, Tomori is not the only Serie A centre-back on Newcastle United’s radar either. It looks like they are interested in an Italian international as well.
Newcastle United interested in Giorgio Scalvini of Atalanta
According to TuttoAtalanta, the Premier League’s interest in Giorgio Scalvini has been a constant for seasons. Newcastle United are at the forefront of the list of suitors for the Italian centre-back.
Scalvini ‘s change of agent isn’t a detail to be dismissed. At a time when Atalanta is called upon to restructure its financial books, the defender’s move to a new agency is definitely significant.
There have been suggestions that Atalanta could be open to Scalvini’s exit for a transfer fee north of €45 million. Let us not forget that we have seen Ederson’s move to Manchester United collapse in the final steps.
Could Newcastle United make that kind of move to try and sign Scalvini? Or would they be more comfortable staying in the €20 million range, which could land them Tomori, someone with more experience and prior knowledge of English football from his time at Chelsea?
Would Scalvini be a good signing for Newcastle?
Of course, Italian football has been under the microscope in recent years. They have failed to qualify for three straight World Cups. For a nation that has won four in its history, that is almost unthinkable, especially this time around, when 48 teams took part.
That does not mean that they have stopped producing good players. Newcastle United will know that better than most, having enjoyed the brilliance of Sandro Tonali for a few years before his £100 million move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Scalvini is one of the most highly rated young talents in Italian football right now. At 22 years of age, he has already made more than 100 appearances for Atalanta and featured on eight occasions for Italy as well.
Obviously, the question would be about whether he is capable of making the jump from Serie A to the Premier League. If he can do that, he would be a good signing for many teams across the English top flight, including Newcastle United.
