Manchester United had a scout watching Napoli’s game against Empoli at the weekend, according to TMW.

The Italian website claim that the Red Devils had Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Alessandro Buongiorno “in their sights” on Sunday.

Napoli won the game 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Kvaratskhelia with Buongiorno playing the full 90 minutes as the Serie A leaders kept their 5th clean sheet in 8 league fixtures.

Considering both players are highly valued by manager Antonio Conte, TMW report that neither will be allowed to leave the club on the cheap.

Kvaratskhelia is locked in contract talks

The Georgian international was heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain during the summer but he was ultimately persuaded to remain in Naples.

However, Kvaratskhelia is still on the contract that he signed when he first arrived at the club in 2022 and attempts to extend it have been thwarted by the player’s representatives wanting a release clause.

A €100m (£83.3m) buyout fee is being discussed, and that figure would attract United and other interested sides such as Manchester City and Liverpool to make a move for him in a future transfer window.

United’s interest in Buongiorno is longstanding

The Italian international was first mentioned as a potential target for the Red Devils at the start of this year, but he was with Torino at the time. He joined Napoli for €40m back in July.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that a transfer is off the table now. TMW claim that he could be sold if a club is prepared to pay around €70m (£58.3m) for his services.

With Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans expected to leave at the end of the season, there would be space for someone like Buongiorno in the first-team squad. It is up for debate, though, whether United would meet Napoli’s demands.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here