Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali admits that Jose Mourinho’s Roma wanted Davide Frattesi with the Italy international now a target for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, speaking via Calciomercato.
In a way, Mourinho has West Ham to blame, missing out on the Italy international during the summer transfer window.
If the Hammers had not signed Gianluca Scamacca earlier in the off-season, then Sassuolo might have been willing to cash in on Frattesi. Instead, after selling both Scamacca and Giacomo Raspadori (scorer of Italy’s winner against England on Friday), the Serie A outfit had no intention of cashing in on another key player before the deadline passed.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma like Tottenham Hotspur target Davide Frattesi
“He was one of the players we had requests for,” explains Carnevali. “Especially from Roma. But then nothing materialised and we did not want to sell him after selling Raspadori and Scamacca.”
Frattesi, who will cost around £26 million, is reportedly on Tottenham radar heading into the January window (Gazzetta dello Sport).
The 23-year-old is a player Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici will know from their time in Italy, and could add a different dimension to Spurs’ midfield. Neither Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp or Yves Bissouma, for all of their qualities, carry much of a goal threat.
Frattesi, however, is a player who relishes making late runs into the penalty area before finishing off chances. He has scored 19 times in the last three-and-a-bit seasons.
“I’d like that,” Frattesi said a couple of months ago when quizzed on a potential future in the Premier League. “It’s a league I can see myself in. It’s a step to take in two or three years, after I’ve established myself.
“But it’s a league that fascinates me a lot, also because it doesn’t have too many tactics. You go back and forth for ninety minutes and I like that idea.”
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