Man Utd have ace in fierce competition to sign imposing 6ft 4in defender Scalvini

Manchester United are eyeing up a move for physically imposing centre-half Giorgio Scalvini who offers quality on the ball - and they have an ace amidst plenty of rival interest.

He has long been regarded as one of Italy's brightest defensive talents, and with Atalanta more open to offers, the possibility of the 22-year-old moving to the Premier League has increased greatly.

The Italian defender has attracted interest from several English clubs, but United have close connections to Atalanta through previous business and former football director John Murtough.

Standing at 6ft 4in, Scalvini has the physical qualities needed for a centre-back in the Premier League and he matches that with ability on the ball.

The Atalanta defender is comfortable receiving possession under pressure, carrying the ball forward and breaking opposition lines with his passing.

There is little chance of him being intimidated which is crucial for knew signings from leagues where there are fewer aerial confrontations.

He is also tactically versatile, having played in different defensive roles throughout his career, including as part of a back three and in a more advanced midfield position.

Scalvini has a big future ahead of him and so he fits into the model being developed by INEOS of incorporating young players with quality.

His quality on the ball would mean he is an improvement on Harry Maguire and also is strong in the air so he could be a replacement in the future.

The question really though is whether United need another centre half with other areas of the pitch appearing more of a priority.

United have two young centre halves in Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven as well as Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Maguire so surely if they do decide on Scalvini then they would be looking to offload at least one of them.

There are questions though over Martinez, despite him being a fans' favourite, over his height and Yoro so far has failed to really impose himself as had been hoped when he arrived.

At the same time De Ligt has had a long run of injuries. Arguably the most promising centre-half at the club right now is Heaven who is good on the ball and physically strong - but just needs to work on his positioning.

For much of his career, Atalanta have viewed Scalvini as one of their untouchable assets.

However, reports suggest the Italian club are now willing to consider offers, with interested clubs expected to pay a significant fee for his services.

That has alerted Premier League sides, with Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle also linked with a move.

And United have a clear advantage due to their connections with Atalanta including Murtough. He joined Atalanta as Director of Global Development after leaving Old Trafford.

They have also signed Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo in recent seasons.