Manchester United have run checks on one of Rasmus Hojlund's old teammates over the international break and are well acquainted with what he would offer if they made a move, according to reports.
What's the latest news involving Manchester United?
As per The Guardian, Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has been ousted from the first-team picture at Old Trafford and will train away from the senior squad at Old Trafford after refusing to apologise for his public rebuttal to Erik Ten Hag's criticism of his performances in training.
Sancho has since taken down his statement on social media platform X that read: "Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!"
Nevertheless, it now looks like his future at the club is in doubt. According to The Manchester Evening News, Sancho is reportedly open to leaving the club in January and some close to his camp believe that it may be in his best interest to seek a new challenge elsewhere. His former club Borussia Dortmund and Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest have been named as two potential destinations.
Ahead of the Red Devils' home clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at home on Saturday, manager Ten Hag has confirmed that Lisandro Martinez will be available for selection following his injury against Arsenal before the international break.
Raphael Varane and Mason Mount are progressing well in their recovery from injury issues; however, both aren't ready to take any part in the clash this weekend.
Which one of Rasmus Hojlund's old teammates are United interested in?
According to 90min, Manchester United ran checks on Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini during the international break by scouting the 19-year-old in Italy's 2-1 victory over Ukraine in EURO 2024 qualifying at the San Siro.
Benfica starlet Antonio Silva was also watched by Manchester United scouts; however, they may face competition from arch-rivals Liverpool, who are also keeping tabs on both players and sent club officials out to observe their performances.
In the case of Scalvini, he has made 58 appearances in all competitions since breaking through at Atalanta, registering three goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.
This term, the Chiari-born ace has managed to obtain an average match rating of 7.23/10 in Serie A for his exploits on the pitch, winning 3.3 aerial duels per fixture, according to WhoScored.
Scalvini has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the art of progressive passes, completing around 5.69 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting him in the 94th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.
Manchester United have conceded seven goals in their opening four matches in the Premier League, signifying that they have plenty of room for improvement in defence. In the near future, Scalvini could prove to be a long-term solution to issues in the backline at Old Trafford if they can get a deal done to secure his signature.