Juventus could not wrap up the acquisition of Manuel Locatelli before the Euro. His price tag is skyrocketing thanks to his excellent performances. The brace he bagged against Switzerland has turned heads across Europe, especially in England, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
While €40M could have been enough before the tournament, Sassuolo are now asking for €60M. Although it could be just a tactical move, it will not be easy for Juventus to convince them. The talks might drag for weeks.
New director Federico Cherubini is set to meet Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali next week. Juventus have been laying the groundwork for months and want to finalize it. Their initial bid stopped at €25M plus a youngster. Radu Dragusin interests the counterpart more than Niccolò Rovella and Nicolò Fagioli. They will have to raise the monetary part of the bid, which they plan to do.
The Bianconeri are hoping Locatelli will convince his club to accept their offer. He grew up as a Juventus fan and Alessandro Del Piero is his idol. The midfielder would rather avoid a long-drawn-out negotiation and transfer early.
Sassuolo have been approached mostly by intermediaries than from Premier League clubs so far. Fabio Paratici, who now helms Tottenham, is a big fan of the Italian international. The Neroverdi wish other Premier League heavyweights joined the race to drum up a bidding war. Furthermore, Borussia Dortmund intend to put on the table the €40M previously requested, Alfredo Pedullà informed.