Newcastle United are taking massive steps forward in the transfer market after a slow start to proceedings.

Despite securing Champions League qualification for this season, Eddie Howe didn’t rush into things throughout June, taking his time to assess potential targets to make sure they would be the right signing for Newcastle.

One of their first signings looks like it could be Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford. The Englishman will cost the Magpies in excess of £30m, which is a record for an English goalkeeper.

Howe will be hoping the 22-year-old is worth it. If he settles, there is no reason why he cannot be the number one at St James’ Park for the next decade.

Additionally, a move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga appears to be close to completion. After having an opening bid for the Swede rejected, Howe came back with an offer worth in the region of £55m.

This certainly appears as though it will be accepted, giving the manager a significant boost regarding his attacking options for next season.

One area that he has yet to bolster is his defence. Last season, the Toon conceded 58 goals in 48 matches. This works out as 1.2 goals conceded per match.

Should Howe look to go far in the Champions League and secure a top-five spot in the top flight next term, improving this is vital.

As such, it appears as though he has made Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini his main target.

Why Newcastle are looking at Giorgio Scalvini

It was reported a few days ago by Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo that Newcastle would be spending the weekend trying to secure a deal for Scalvini.

This came after it was reported that the club had made the defender their top target as Howe looked to fend off interest from Chelsea and Tottenham to bring the player to St James’ Park.

He endured an injury-ravaged campaign last year, making only eight appearances throughout 2024/25 due to suffering a serious cruciate ligament injury.

The season before, however, saw the youngster emerge as one of the finest Italian talents in Serie A.

Compared to his positional peers in the top-flight of Italian football, he ranked in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, along with ranking in the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 4% for interceptions and in the top 16% for aerials won per 90.

This shows just how effective he was at both ends of the pitch for Atalanta, and he made a 45-minute cameo in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen. His display rendered the likes of Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface quiet during a sublime 3-0 victory.

On the surface, he would make a fine signing. It appears as though he has returned to full fitness and should he settle in at Newcastle, Scalvini could be the future of their defence.

Everything depends on the transfer fee that the Serie A side are demanding, however. If it is too high, Howe could well walk away from the deal.

Alternatively, could the club go after another centre-back? There is one who may not cost as much as Scalvini.

Newcastle eyeing Scalvini upgrade

With around £85m being spent on Trafford and Elanga this summer, Howe won't have much left to further bolster his squad.

Of course, moving a few players on will help, but there is no doubt the manager is going to have to be smart when it comes to recruitment.

According to Football Insider, the Magpies have earmarked Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi as a potential alternative to Scalvini. The report also goes on to state that should an offer of £30m be made, it is likely to be accepted.

The Argentinian is the club captain at the French giants, although with Scalvini potentially costing around the £60m mark, a move for the Marseille star is certainly the more attractive one, certainly from a financial point of view anyway.

Could Balerdi be a better signing than the young Italian? His wealth of experience in European football suggests so.

The eight-cap Argentine made his mark at Boca Juniors, but it wasn’t long before Borussia Dortmund snapped him up in 2019.

He ended up featuring just eight times for the Bundesliga side, but a move to Ligue 1 five years ago has seen Balerdi push on and become an excellent centre-back.

Due to Scalvini’s injury issues last season, it is best to compare the two centre-backs for their statistics throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

That season, Balerdi succeeded with 86% of his passes, averaged 1.9 interceptions, and 2.9 tackles and won an impressive 6.2 total duels per game – a success rate of 64% - in Ligue 1.

Comparatively, Scalvini succeeded with 82% of his passes, while averaging 1.8 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and winning 4.8 total duels per game – a success rate of 56% - during his Serie A campaign.

Furthermore, Balerdi lost possession fewer times (9.6 vs 10) than Scalvini, while also recovering more balls (6.2 vs 4.9) and making more clearances per game (3.1 vs 2) in their respective league seasons.

These statistics indicate that the Marseille defender might well be the better signing, especially considering he also has plenty of experience in the Champions League.

"An extraordinary player" in the words of manager Roberto De Zerbi, there is an argument to be made that the player has yet to reach his peak.

This could certainly be achieved at Newcastle, especially as he would be a guaranteed starter at the heart of the defence.

Scalvini is a wonderful prospect for the future. But for the here and now, Balerdi must be the priority.