Manchester City are monitoring Manuel Locatelli, however their interest has yet turn into a real attempt to acquire him and Sassuolo are highly unlikely to sell him in January, Gazzetta dello Sport report. The situation should change in the summer, but Juventus will be a major threat as they have identified him as the top target to strengthen the midfield.
The outlet informs that the Bianconeri strongly pursued the Italian international in the previous window, but they could not reach agreement as they offered a formula similar to one they used in the Federico Chiesa deal, a multi-year loan with a substantial initial fee, while the Emilian club wanted a more straightforward solution and slapped a €40M price tag on the player. In this case, Sassuolo are not keen on accepting swaps and will try to monetize the transfer as much as possible.
The publication speculates that Locatelli, who is product of the Milan youth system, could be attracted by the possibility of being coached by his childhood idol Andrea Pirlo, even though Pep Guardiola is surely no slouch.
Our view
Juventus have long been fascinated by Manuel Locatelli, but there is no telling what kind of budget they will have in the summer. If they will need again to get creative to try to buy him, Manchester City and their deeper pockets could come out on top should Sassuolo successfully start a bidding war.