Newcastle United look set to wrap up a move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga.

Despite their first bid being rejected, Eddie Howe upped the offer to £55m and this looks like it could be enough to seal a deal for the Swedish star.

It would be a strong signing indeed, one that could prove to be the catalyst for Howe to bring on more new arrivals over the next few weeks.

One area that needs to be sorted is the defence. With Champions League football on the agenda next term, building as strong a squad as possible is the onus now for Howe.

Could he be keen to wrap up a deal for a Serie A talent sooner rather than later?

Newcastle’s search for a defender

AC Milan centre-back Malick Thiaw has been linked with a move, while Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande is also of interest to the Magpies, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

Howe won't be able to sign them all, of course, but it appears as though he is keen on sealing a deal for Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini in the coming days.

That’s according to the Northern Echo, with journalist Scott Wilson claiming that the Magpies will spend the weekend in negotiations with the Serie A side for Scalvini’s signature.

Howe is aware of interest from other clubs, hence the desire to get a deal done quickly for the player, who is valued at £40m.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the manager has raided Serie A for a player. Could Scalvini become Sandro Tonali 2.0 for the club?

Why Newcastle must sign Girogio Scalvini

Tonali joined the Toon in the summer of 2023 and, aside from an eight-month ban due to gambling-related offences, he has been excellent for the club.

He missed just two league games last term, going on to register six goal involvements, while also succeeding with 59% of his dribbles, winning 55% of his ground duels and averaging 1.4 tackles per game in the top flight.

His impact saw the club secure a top-five finish, thus securing a place in the Champions League group stages.

If Scalvini joins, there is no doubt he could have the same sort of impact. He did miss the majority of last term due to injury, but throughout the 2023/24 season, he was excellent.

Hailed as a "top talent" by none other than Fabrizio Romano back in 2022, Scalvini ranked highly across a range of metrics in Serie A that season.

Compared to his peers, 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 proves just how good he was before his injury and now that he is back to full fitness, Howe is desperate to secure his signature.

Should he go on to have the same impact as his compatriot Tonali, Howe will have hit the jackpot once again.