Calciomercato Web has reported that Arsenal have renewed their interest in Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli.
The former Sassuolo midfielder joined the Bianconeri last summer on a two-year loan deal that would run through 2023. The former Serie A champions however are obligated to buy the Italian for a fee of £30.7 million (€35m).
The Gunners were also linked with a move for the midfielder last summer, but the player chose to remain in Italy. The North London club reportedly offered £2.3 million more than Juventus but Locatelli’s will was to move to Turin.
The Italian outlet claims that Locatelli has failed to convince Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus, and has consequently fallen down the pecking order. The situation has alerted Arsenal as CalcioMercato says the Gunners are ready to renew their interest in signing Locatelli.
Our View
Mikel Arteta has done an excellent job in the market when it comes to building a solid attack. The former Manchester City assistant manager must now work on building a solid midfield core around Martin Odegaard.
Granit Xhaka has been a mainstay at Emirates but the Swiss international has been largely inconsistent throughout his tenure at Arsenal. The same can also be said for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries since joining the club for a record fee of £45 million in 2020.
Locatelli has the profile required to succeed in Arteta’s system. He is good with the ball and likes to play long passes. The Italy international can also play centrally as well as a holding midfielder.
Standing tall at 185 cm, aerial duels are also his strong suit. Locatelli is a good passer of the ball and has a high work rate when it comes to contributing defensively. So far, he has registered three goals and five assists from 49 appearances for Juve. These stats are impressive considering that most of his duties on the pitch have been defensive under Allegri.
Arsenal could be vying for his signature to add depth and competition to their midfield, having already signed Fabio Viera this past summer. Locatelli is valued at £31m by Transfermarkt, so he should be within Arsenal’s reach if they formalise their interest.
