Manuel Locatelli could turn down a move to Manchester City with Tuttosport claiming the £30 million-rated Sassuolo midfielder is only interested in joining Juventus this summer.
Oh AC Milan, what were you thinking?
Three years ago, the Rossoneri sold a talented academy graduate for £10 million. But if they felt that was a good deal at the time, it doesn’t look so inspired now.
Locatelli has blossomed into one of the best young midfielders not only in Italy but the whole of Europe.
According to the Daily Mail, the six-time Italy international is Man City’s top midfield target as the Premier League leaders look to add another pristine playmaker to Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad.
You would imagine Milan would be happy to see Locatelli don the sky blue of City. Out of sight, out of mind after all.
But with the 23-year-old dreaming of a move to Turin, it seems the seven-time European champions will be forced to watch in horror as Locatelli goes from strength to strength in the black-and-white stripes of a direct Scudetto rival.
Tuttosport claims Locatelli only wants to leave Sassuolo for one club this summer – Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus.
And the admiration, it seems, is mutual.
Juve have made it their mission to accumulate the game’s next generation of superstars at the Allianz Stadium and Locatelli would fit in beautifully with Dejan Kulusevski, Weston McKennie, Matthijs de Ligt and co.
“My hope is (he joins Juventus). It is a great club,” Sassuolo chief executive Giovanni Carnevali told Tuttosport, via Football Italia.
“Whether it’s Juventus or City or others of global value, I don’t know. (Locatelli) deserves it and has the characteristics to aspire to play there.”
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