Juventus will add at least one midfielder in the summer, and their main priority is Manuel Locatelli. The coaching change has not affected their plans, as they have been after the Sassuolo player for over a year. The Bianconeri brass will have a summit later this week to lay out the transfer market plans. Massimiliano Allegri already informed the management that he wants a pure playmaker, transfer market expert Alfredo Pedullà reported.
The Old Lady pursued the Italian international last season, and director Fabio Paratici met Sassuolo twice during the course of the window. However, the Neroverdi wanted to keep the roster intact in the final year of Roberto De Zerbi’s contract. A €40M offer would not have been enough to acquire him.
With the gaffer now gone, Locatelli is significantly more likely to leave. He is keen on joining Juventus, but they have to move swiftly because he does not lack deep-pocketed suitors. PSG and Manchester City would become real threats if the Bianconeri did not close the deal in the first few weeks of the transfer market.
The negotiation will heat up once Sassuolo will have picked his next coach, but the Euro could represent an obstacle. The Neroverdi are not completely opposed to inserting some Juventus youngsters in the package, but the talks have been only preliminary at this stage.
As an alternative, Allegri would not mind a reunion with his protege Miralem Pjanic, who struggled to find his footing in Barcelona. However, the lofty sums contemplated in the swap with Arthur make a return very tough to orchestrate.