Tottenham Hotspur have turned their attention to an Italy international, but they have been warned that the player will not come cheap.
Spurs have already strengthened their backline with the additions of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke this summer.
However, they are expected to lose some senior defenders, with Cristian Romero and Djed Spence potentially on their way out of Spurs before the window slams shut.
That perhaps explains why some outlets have reported over recent weeks that the Lilywhites have explored a move for a young Atalanta defender.
Tottenham face Newcastle competition for Giorgio Scalvini
The player in question is Giorgio Scalvini, who has progressed impressively over the last couple of years at Atalanta and has become a regular in the Italian national team.
A new report in TuttoMercatoWeb has backed up Tottenham’s interest in the 22-year-old centre-back, revealing that Spurs have reached out to the player’s entourage to gauge his contract demands.
The Lilywhites are the only ones to do this, with Newcastle also holding talks with Scalvini’s representatives to see if he would be open to a switch to St James’ Park.
However, it is revealed that Maurizio Sarri views the young defender as a ‘key asset’ in his defence, with the Serie A club thus intent on keeping him at the club.
Atalanta tell Spurs how much they have to pay for Scalvini
Given the centre-back’s importance to their squad, TMW say that it would take a ‘dizzying offer’ to prise him away from the Italian club.
In fact, Atalanta have already told Scalvini’s suitors that they would not even enter the negotiating table unless there is a bid of €50m (£43m).
The publication adds that Sarri’s men have not received any offer for the Italy international so far, but both Tottenham and Newcastle have been warned that they will not get any discounts for the defender.