Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Atalanta wonderkid Giorgio Scalvini - and the Italian centre-back could prove to be Mauricio Pochettino's own Paolo Maldini at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Scalvini this summer?

According to reports from Italy, Chelsea are among the suitors for the 19-year-old this summer after a fine season in Serie A with Gian Piero Gasperini's side.

The likes of Inter, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid are also said to be keen on the youngster, who is likely to cost around €40m (£35m) this summer.

While Scalvini is contracted at the Gewiss Stadium until 2027, it is suggested in the report that he earns a relatively low wage - something he would likely be able to increase should he make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Could Scalvini be Pochettino's own Maldini?

Pochettino is all but confirmed to be the man in the dugout for Chelsea next season, with the Argentinian's appointment likely to be formally announced in the coming weeks as the Blues finally end their nightmare campaign at home to Newcastle this weekend.

While it has been scoring goals rather than keeping them out which has been the main problem for the Blues in the Todd Boehly reign, Thursday's heavy defeat against Manchester United exposed their defensive vulnerabilities, while 38-year-old Thiago Silva cannot be expected to be the main man at the back forever.

Scalvini has featured 30 times in Serie A so far this term with a solid 6.67 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while he has already earned a call-up to the national side.

Italy is famous for producing world-class defenders, with the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Nesta all regarded as some of the best centre-backs in footballing history.

However, the best of the best is arguably Maldini, with former teammate Alessandro Del Piero suggesting that he went beyond the description of world-class, arguing that he was number one.

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Maldini famously said that "if I have to make a tackle, then I have already made a mistake" and it could be argued that Scalvini seems to play with that mindset, with his preference to intercept the ball, as according to FBref he ranks in the top 3% of defenders across Europe for interceptions per game.

Goal journalist Tom Maston lauded the youngster's "eye-catching" displays and it is easy to see why, as he also ranks 6% of defenders for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive passes received per 90, which suggests that he is a very modern centre-back who is comfortable in possession.

It is rare to see a centre-back as young as Scalvini playing regularly for club and country and he will certainly be looking to follow in the footsteps of the great Maldini, who broke into AC Milan's first team at the age of 16 and retired nearly 25 years later at the age of 41.

Boehly has already shown a preference for signing players with potential, and in Scalvini, he could uncover a top-class player for Pochettino - so long as the Italy international is allowed to properly develop at Stamford Bridge.