United move closer to signing of Serie A defender

Manchester United welcome League One side Wigan Athletic to Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round on Monday evening. 

The Red Devils have endured a difficult season so far and suffered another damaging defeat on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by struggling Nottingham Forest.

That result leaves Erik ten Hag’s side seventh in the Premier League table, but the visit of the Latics presents a good opportunity for United to return to winning ways.

With the transfer window now open again, Ten Hag and those in charge of the club will likely be working hard to bolster the Dutchman’s squad.

With that in mind, it appears that the Manchester outfit are already closing in on their first January signing.

According to French outlet Les Bons Conceil Du Sports via The Express, United are in advanced talks with Italian side Atalanta about the signing of defender Giorgio Scalvini.

Scalvini has attracted significant interest from Manchester United

The report claims that the Premier League giants have been monitoring Scalvini’s progress for some time now and are prepared to activate his £44 million release clause.

Scalvini, 20, is a product of the Italian club’s youth academy and has already made 75 appearances for the club at senior level.

Manager Ten Hag is said to be keen on the idea of overhauling his current crop of defenders, and Scalvini has emerged as a top target as he looks to do so.

Current centre-back Johnny Evans’ contract is set to expire at the end of the season, while fellow defender Raphael Varane has fallen out of favour of late and has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford in recent weeks.

With that in mind, the Dutchman is looking at targets to improve his back line and Scalvini’s impressive performances over the past 18 months have put him firmly near the top of United’s list of targets.

Fellow Premier League giants Chelsea, Spanish side Real Madrid, and a number of Italian sides are also said to be interested in the youngster.