Sassuolo sold Manuel Locatelli to Serie A giants Juventus despite receiving a bigger offer from Premier League outfit Arsenal last summer, CEO Giovanni Carnevali tells GR Parlamento.
With less than three months of the campaign remaining, Juventus and Arsenal find themselves in a rather similar situation.
Both clubs are chasing Champions League qualification, that coveted fourth-spot within their grasp. But if Arsenal fall short while Juventus secure a seat at Europe’s top table, the narrative will quickly turn to transfers.
Specifically, two players who turned down Arsenal in favour of the Old Lady’s warm embrace.
Dusan Vlahovic has scored four goals in six games since joining Juve from Fiorentina in January, including a dead-eyed brace in Saturday’s nail-biting 3-2 win at Empoli.
Locatelli’s impact in black-and-white has not been quite so headline-grabbing but the Euro 2020 champion has certainly played his part, missing just one Serie A game all season.
And that was due to suspension.
Can Vlahovic and Locatelli fire Juventus into the Champions League?
Locatelli, like Vlahovic, slammed the door in Arsenal’s face once Juve came knocking. In fact, his desire to stay in Italy even forced Sassuolo to accept a ‘slightly lower’ offer than the one Mikel Arteta’s Gunners had put forward.
“I hope that the boys can stay in our league,” says Carnevali, who’s Sassuolo side could soon sell striker Gianluca Scamacca and string-pulling midfielder Davide Frattessi to a top-flight rival (Translated by TMW).
“That (desire to stay in Serie A) was enough for Locatelli, who remained in Italy even though Juve’s offer was slightly lower than the one from England.”
Juventus paid just £29 million up front, however, with Locatelli later admitting that signing for the Bianconeri ‘has always been my dream’.
History could soon repeat itself as far as Arsenal are concerned too. Because Carnevali confirms that Scamacca, a physical, formidable number nine on Arteta’s radar, is in talks over a move to Scudetto holders Inter Milan.
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