Liverpool eye ‘£26m’ Giorgio Scalvini as Van Dijk succession plan

Jurgen Klopp fully committed to Liverpool amid suggestion club may be sold

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Liverpool may already be eyeing up Virgil van Dijk’s long-term successor amid reports that they are among a host of top clubs monitoring Giorgio Scalvini. The size of the Atalanta youngster’s growing reputation means he’s likely to cost a pretty penny, with the Italian outfit supposedly looking to offload next summer. 

Scalvini has been part of Atalanta’s youth set-up since a young schoolboy and he broke through into the first team last season, making his debut at 17. His tender age is particularly shocking considering he plays at centre-back, which usually requires physicality and experience. 

The 18-year-old is a fixture of Gian Piero Gasperini’s team this campaign and top sides around the continent are taking note. Scalvini could have strutted his stuff at the World Cup this year with three senior Italy caps already to his name, but Roberto Mancini’s side failed to make the tournament.

According to CalcioMercato, Liverpool are among a six-strong chasing pack for Scalvini’s signature with a move touted for next summer. 

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Atalanta are desperate not to lose him before that point and may not take kindly to approaches in January. Able to play at centre-back or as a defensive midfielder, Scalvini’s versatility makes him a valuable asset in the transfer market and he is expected to come with a price tag of at least £26million. 

Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Inter Milan are also in the running, according to reports from Italy. Just two weeks shy of his 19th birthday, Scalvini would be one of the youngest starting centre-backs in the Premier League if he opts for Liverpool, who may deem it time to keep one eye on the future. 

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Van Dijk is now the wrong side of his 30th birthday and the talismanic Dutchman will be 32 by the start of next season. The silky centre-back has been a towering figure at Anfield since signing in a big-money move from Southampton in 2018 with the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup now in his trophy cabinet. 

As it stands, the Dutchman will be out of contract in 2025, which is roughly when Scalvini may be expected to take the big leagues by storm. Liverpool have spent conservatively compared to their rivals in recent months but they have routinely operated with youth in mind, as the arrivals of Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho showed during the summer. 

Defending has been a weak point for Jurgen Klopp’s side this campaign with Van Dijk short of his best form. The Reds sit sixth in the Premier League table during the World Cup break with seven points to make up on the top four and 15 to league leaders Arsenal. 

Earlier this season, Manchester United hero Gary Neville said: “What I will say about Van Dijk is that there was a time, maybe before last season before his injury, where you wouldn’t even see players take him on. They would refuse and just pass the ball. There are now starting to have a go, thinking ‘I have a chance here’.”

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