According to Fabrizio Romano, Sassuolo’s Euro 2020 winning midfielder Manuel Locatelli, has yet to determine his future. Romano mentions that Juventus and Arsenal are interested, but Locatelli placed all of his focus on the Italian National Team over the past month.
Manuel Locatelli Still to Determine Future
Locatelli’s Past
Locatelli broke out onto the scene with AC Milan‘s youth squad and began his professional career with the Rossoneri. At the time, however, Milan was hitting an all-time low. They continuously missed out on Champions League qualification and never looked like a serious title threat. Locatelli was in and out of the starting squad and played solid at times, but also had difficult times. This was not always his fault, however, as he was a youngster playing for a squad with no direction.
After a couple of seasons professionally with Milan, Locatelli moved on to Sassuolo. Milan did not include a buyback clause in their sale, which looks like a major mistake now. Locatelli has emerged as one of the top holding midfielders in all of Italy. His future is also bright as he’s only 23-years-old.
The Fit at Juventus and Arsenal
Juventus had a disappointing season by their standards last year. They failed in the Champions League and took it to the last Serie A matchday to qualify for next season’s European competition. Much of their issues came from the midfield as play was often far too stagnant. Due to this, Locatelli would fit in perfectly.
Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey are likely out of the rotation. This leaves Locatelli competing for a spot alongside Arthur, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Weston McKennie. It’s safe to say Locatelli emerges as a starter from this group.
Speaking about disappointing seasons, Arsenal had one far worse than Juventus. They lost in the Europa League semi-finals, and their rough second half of the season made Champions League qualification a distant hope. With the Premier League being very top-heavy, Arsenal need upgrades now before they face a major descent.
Lucas Torreira’s future is up in the air as is Granit Xhaka‘s. Dani Ceballos will not be returning following a second loan spell from Real Madrid. This means Arsenal needs to find a partner alongside Thomas Partey. Locatelli’s defensive prowess, alongside his underrated playmaking and missile of a shot, is a strong fit.
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