Relegation from the top-flight is a sure-fire way to ensure your transfer value drops by a few million.
And, 12 months after Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham both considered bringing one of Serie A’s breakout talents to the Premier League, could a knock-down price-tag see Armand Lauriente emerge as a name to keep a very close eye on during the final month of the 2024 window?
While the former France Under 21 international might not have hit the heights of his sparkling debut season at Sassuolo, Lauriente was certainly one of the few players who could not be blamed as the perennial overachievers plummeted into Serie B against all expectations.
Lauriente still ended the campaign with a respectable five goals and six assists to his name.
And Tottenham and West Ham may have moved on – Spurs have extended Timo Werner’s deal while The Hammers landed the ‘extraordinary’ Brazilian starlet Luis Guilherme for big money – there will surely be no shortage of suitors for a skilful, potentially match-winning widemen with his best years ahead of him at the age of just 25.
Especially after Giovanni Carnevali – Sassuolo’s always-outspoken CEO – confirmed that offers as low as around £12 million will be considered following the Neroverdi’s relegation.
Tottenham and West Ham wanted Armand Lauriente
“There are many possibilities. To give a number (that Lauriente will cost)? I don’t know. It could be around 15 or 20 million (euros),” Carnevali tells Sky Italia.
“We think this is the right figure. But I can also tell you that I would almost prefer to give up this economic result to keep the player.”
Lauriente is one of a number of highly-rated players who – perhaps surprisingly – are still Sassuolo players on the dawn of the new Serie B season.
The Mapei Stadium outfit have thus far retained the services of striker Andrea Pinamonti, Scottish left-back Josh Doig and talisman Domenico Berardi, though a serious injury to the latter appears to be keeping any potential suitors at arms’ length.
In addition to Tottenham and West Ham, Lauriente had caught the eye of Bayer Leverkusen during the 2022/23 season.
To think, he could have ended up playing a key role in a historic, Bundesliga-winning campaign for Xabi Alonso’s storybook side. Instead, while Leverkusen sauntered to a remarkable domestic double, Lauriente would suffer the ignominy of relegation.
Sassuolo ace could have replaced Moussa Diaby
“Bayer Leverkusen liked him as a replacement for (Moussa) Diaby,” Roberto Meloni, Lauriente’s agent told Tuttomercatoweb after Aston Villa sealed a £50 million deal for the speedy forward in July 2023.
“Then there was an interest from Tottenham. And it’s no secret that (former director Cristiano) Giuntoli would have liked him if he had stayed at Napoli.
“In the Premier League, there was an attempt from West Ham. But he wants to reach an important level, preferring a second season at Sassuolo.”
The aforementioned Diaby, meanwhile, would last just one season at Villa Park. He moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad almost 12 months to the day since his arrival in England.
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