Newcastle scared away from transfer bid for Atalanta defender by €50m price tag

According to Matteo Moretto, Newcastle tested Atalanta’s resolve but a €50m (£43m/$58m) valuation of Scalvini forced the Magpies to drop their interest and go after Malick Thiaw, who they signed from AC Milan in August. Napoli were also in contention to sign the 21-year-old centre-back, but were turned down.

A product of Atalanta's youth academy, Scalvini made his debut under former coach Gian Piero Gasperini during the 2021-22 and quickly became a key figure in their defence. He played a vital role in Atalanta's triumph in the 2023/24 Europa League but an injury ruled him out of Euro 2024 and limited him to just 371 minutes of action last season. Scalvini has featured in both of Atalanta’s Serie A matches this season, with coach Ivan Juric affirming that he is central to the team’s spine as they rebuild following Gasperini’s departure.

Scalvini wasn’t the only player Atalanta fought to retain, as Nigerian striker Ademola Lookman was also kept in the squad despite publicly submitting a transfer request in an attempt to force a move to Inter.

With the transfer window now closed, Scalvini can fully concentrate on the season ahead, aiming to deliver strong performances and secure a place in Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy squad for the 2026 World Cup. Atalanta will hope that Scalvini can help turn their fortunes around after managing two draws from two Serie A matches.