da brwin： St James’ Park has played host to several entertaining clashes to see in the New Year with Newcastle United’s 4-3 win over Leeds United in the Premier League sure to live long in the memory as an instant top-flight classic.

da marjack bet： Meanwhile, the Toon’s penalty shootout win over AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup was equally full of entertainment, as the game finished 3-3 before spot kicks decided Newcastle’s fate.

Eddie Howe will be thrilled that his team came out the other side of these action-packed clashes with two wins in their grasp.

But he will surely be worried about the leaky nature of his defence across these two hectic matches, all the same, with some defensive reinforcements rumoured…

Newcastle hold strong interest in £35m star

Howe would complain at the full-time whistle of the exciting Cherries Cup win that his team weren’t “defensively solid” enough throughout.

With news filtering through that Tino Livramento could be leaving Tyneside shortly, amid interest from league leaders Arsenal, it’s no surprise to see Newcastle being linked with a mid-season swoop for Brentford full-back Michael Kayode.

Newcastle are also being linked with some players in the middle of the park as they chase down the signature of Atalanta star Ederson, but he isn’t the only addition being tipped to leave the Serie A titans behind for St James’ Park.

Amazingly, TEAMtalk have revealed that Newcastle have their sights set on three Atalanta players this January, with both Honest Anahor and Giorgio Scalvini on their radar, alongside the Brazilian.

Scalvini stands out as an interesting pick-up, with the injury-prone centre-back a player Newcastle have assessed for a long while now, as they finally eye up making a move this month, owing to Fabian Schar now being out of the first team frame with a long-term injury.

With an asking price of £35m, and previously on the shopping lists of the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United, this would be a signing of intent as Howe tries to remedy injury issues, with Scalvini arguably an even bigger talent than Lewis Miley, despite his own tendencies to frequent the treatment room.

How Scalvini is a bigger talent than Miley

While the season has been rather bumpy so far for those of Newcastle persuasion, with inconsistent displays plaguing the Toon ranks, Howe has been able to rely on Miley all season long to deliver, from various positions on the pitch.

Against Bournemouth, Miley would shine yet again, but this time in a makeshift centre-back role when coming on during the late stages of the high-octane affair. He caught the eye, winning three duels in total. Howe even state after the game that the teenage sensation “deserves to go to the World Cup with England” as the praise just continues to flow.

While the number 67 holds onto that senior England dream, Scalvini has already lived that fantasy out for Italy, with his ex-Azzuri manager in Roberto Mancini stating that he’s seen “few talents” like him, at such a tender young age.

At just 22 years of age, the 6 foot 4 Italian has already been capped eight times at a senior level for his nation, with his debut for Italy coming at 18, one year younger than Miley currently is. He has further competed in 96 Serie A contests and been subject to interest from some giant European behemoths.

While Miley has been a standout talent for Howe this season, he’s some way off being this accomplished, with Scalvini even joking that he’s treated like a “30-year-old player” by the likes of Mancini, for how well accustomed he is to the pressures of the senior game, excelling on pressured stages such as the Europa League final with ease.

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This campaign, too, he is also bettering Miley in certain areas of their respective defensive games, with scout Jacek Kulig rightly labelling him as a “dominant” presence defensively. He would certainly be a great fix with Schar sidelined.

Scalvini’s league numbers (25/26)

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Scalvini

Games played

7

Goals scored

2

Assists

0

Touches*

59.1

Accurate passes*

39.3 (87%)

Clearances*

2.9

Tackles*

2.1

Ball recoveries*

3.0

Total duels won*

4.1

Stats by Sofascore

Across just seven Serie A games this season, next to Miley’s 17 clashes back in the Premier League, Scalvini has trumped the promising Englishman in terms of duels won per league match, with a superior average of 4.1 per match to Miley’s 3.2.

On top of that, the number 42 has also averaged more clearances and tackles, with Newcastle potentially becoming a far sterner defensive prospect, if Scalvini were to leave Bergamo behind shortly.

Of course, the 22-year-old and Miley could work alongside each other in harmony if a move is finalised, as a youthful flavour is added to Howe’s backline.

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