Juventus have reached a complete agreement with Sassuolo to acquire Manuel Locatelli. The two clubs had come to terms on his evaluation last week. They needed to further negotiate on the formula of the transfer, and sealed the deal earlier today. He will take the medicals tomorrow morning.
They met halfway as Juventus obtained a two-year loan. The payment will start after the fees for Federico Chiesa and eventually Alvaro Morata. Instead, Sassuolo obtained minimal conditions on the future obligation to acquire him as it will merely be a technicality. The move will become permanent once the Bianconeri conquer their first point in 2022-2023, Gianluca Di Marzio reports. Instead, a future Champions League qualification will not be a factor contrarily to what originally thought.
Sassuolo will receive €30M plus €5M add-ons, Alfredo Pedullà informs. They will also get up to 20 percent of a future sale. Juventus are working on finalizing the paperwork as soon as possible to have him ready for the opening match. Locatelli will technically sign an extension with his current club first, as his contract runs out in 2023.
The Bianconeri have been chasing the 23-year-old midfielder for over a year. The Emilian club completely stonewalled them in 2021. While they realized they would lose him in this window, they held firm on their demands. Juventus worked them patiently on their flanks for the entire summer. Their chase ended up being fruitful also thanks to the will of the player. Locatelli never seriously considered alternative destinations despite some inquiries from Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Liverpool.