Newcastle United’s summer recruitment has already included several frustrating misses, and the club’s search for defensive reinforcements could now become another difficult battle before the window closes.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea have joined Newcastle in the race for Atalanta center-back Giorgio Scalvini, with the two clubs currently regarded as joint front-runners for the 22-year-old after both making contact with his representatives.
Football Insider reports Atalanta could accept an offer
of around £40 million, with the Serie A club open to a sale amid financial concerns. Newcastle’s interest is long-standing, while The Sun previously reported the Magpies had already approached Scalvini’s representatives and were considering an opening bid of around £34 million.
“The 22-year-old is highly regarded at St James’ Park as they aim to bolster their defensive options, with a lack of depth at centre-back becoming a concern behind the scenes,” Football Insider reported. “Atalanta are expected to be open to selling amid financial concerns this summer, but with Premier League rivals now on high alert, Newcastle are in danger of missing out again.”
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown believes Newcastle must tread carefully after already losing several targets to Premier League rivals.
“Newcastle have had another very difficult transfer window,” Brown told Football Insider. “The problem is, it can be difficult to get out of a situation where you can’t land your top targets, because you want to be ambitious in the market but that means challenging the top clubs. Can Newcastle realistically challenge clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea when they’re going head to head for a player? I don’t think so.
“They have to be smart with their deals, look at other players in the market who might not be attracting interest from these top-tier clubs but have the quality that they need. Otherwise they will keep missing out on these players, like Scalvini for example who they are now being linked with.”
Scalvini made 30 appearances across all competitions last season, has appeared in 113 games for Atalanta throughout his career, and has already earned eight senior Italy caps.
His age and profile surely fit Newcastle’s desire to add a young defender capable of contributing immediately, and if signed, Scalvini would be one of the major wins of the summer transfer window in Tyneside.
Do you think Newcastle should push harder for Scalvini despite Chelsea’s interest, or move quickly to another target before another bidding war develops? Let us know your thoughts in the Coming Home Newcastle comments section below.
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