Newcastle United and Chelsea favourites in race to sign £40m centre-back
Newcastle United need to strengthen in a number of areas before this summer transfer window slams shut. One of those positions might be centre-back. The Magpies are ageing in that department and have fitness issues as well.
Fabian Schar and Dan Burn are both 34 years of age. So, it might be time to start thinking about life beyond them. On the other hand, Sven Botman, someone who was brought in as the long-term solution all those years back, has dealt with injury problems.
So, it would be a good idea for Newcastle United to try and sign a quality centre-back in this summer transfer window. A lot of intriguing options are out there.
For a while, it had looked like Fikayo Tomori was a top target. But now, it appears that a different Serie A centre-back is on the Magpies’ radar. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur want him as well though.
Newcastle United and Chelsea lead race to sign centre-back
According to Football Insider, Newcastle United and Chelsea are ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Giorgio Scalvini, Both clubs have already made contact with the Atalanta centre-back’s representatives.
Atalanta do not want to let the player go unless their £40 million transfer valuation is met. It is currently thought to be an “open race” between Newcastle and Chelsea.
Scalvini is 22 years of age. He has already made 137 senior appearances for Atalanta. The centre-back has also played for Italy on eight occasions so far.
So, even though he is technically a youngster, Scalvini has plenty of experience under his belt and should be ready for the next step. What would he bring to the table for the Magpies?
What are Giorgio Scalvini’s strengths and weaknesses?
The first thing you notice about Scalvini is his size. He stands at 6 feet 4 inches. That should serve him well when it comes to dealing with the physicality of the Premier League.
At the same time though, he can prove to be a weakness for the opposition to take advantage of. He is not the most agile of centre-backs owing to his size. That might be a bit easier to hide in the slower-paced Serie A. But in the Premier League, it could become a problem if he does not adjust his game.
The second is his ability with the ball at his feet. Scalvini is not scared to play an adventurous pass in order to help the team progress up the pitch.
He was in the 96th percentile for expected assists, 94th percentile for chances created and 84th percentile for big chances created. But at the same time, it can be a weakness as well. When it comes off, it is great, but when it does not, he just turns the ball over to the opposition.
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