Manchester United are “ready” to pay Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini’s release clause, according to journalist Seb Ecrivain.
The French reporter took to X on Monday evening to state that negotiations are at an “advanced stage”, with United set to spend £44m on the 20-year-old.
Scalvini has been linked with a January move to Old Trafford by another journalist, Alfredo Pedulla, but it remains to be seen whether Ecrivain’s information turns out to be accurate.
Erik ten Hag’s side are known to be in the market for a centre-back, with the likes of Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio, Benfica’s Antonio Silva, Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo all on the club’s radar.
However, all four of those players are expected to cost in excess of £50m so it may be the case that the Red Devils have decided to recruit the cheapest option in Scalvini.
Scalvini has been tracked by a number of Premier League teams
Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been mentioned as potential suitors for the young defender over the past twelve months or so.
Scalvini has a burgeoning reputation in Italy, having made his international debut last year, and many believe that he has a very bright future ahead of him, even if he is still a somewhat raw talent.
United do have a good relationship with the player’s club
The Red Devils are likely to have an advantage in terms of winning the race for Scalvini’s signature. Having shelled out £72m on Rasmus Hojlund only last summer, they have had fresh dealings with Atalanta.
There are, though, question marks about how United can afford the Italian international. It has been reported by multiple sources in the UK that the Manchester club have a very restricted budget due to Financial Fair Play.
