According to Calciomercato, Arsenal target Manuel Locatelli rejected a move to Manchester United before the September 1st transfer deadline.
Why Arsenal target rejected Manchester United
Well, the Italian news outlet believe the 24-year-old turned down an offer from the Red Devils over the summer as he preferred to stay at Juventus.
Calciomercato believe Erik ten Hag attempted to sign Locatelli before turning his attention to Adrien Rabiot – in the end, Casemiro was signed in a £70m deal from Real Madrid due to complications involving the Frenchman.
The report does not state whether the Italy international specifically turned down Manchester United due to reservations about the Red Devils, which should throw up some concerns for Mikel Arteta.
Locatelli – a €35m (£30m) signing from Sassuolo in August 2021 – has played in Italy throughout his entire career, so unless the Gunners provide an encapsulating offer, we can’t see why he would change his mind about moving to the Premier League.
The Lecco-born midfielder is a key player for Juventus, making five starts in Serie A so far this season.
Arsenal could receive different answer to Manchester United
One thing which could sway Locatelli to the Emirates Stadium – despite his rejection of a move to England with Manchester United – is the fact Arsenal have been admirers of his for a while now.
The north Londoners tried to sign him from Sassuolo before he made the aforementioned £30m move to Juventus, and with the Gunners in much better shape than Manchester United, he may be tempted by Arsenal.
Having said that, a lot needs to fall into place for Mikel Arteta and Edu if a deal is to happen.
Calciomercato have also stated that a reunion with his old Sassuolo boss Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton could be on the cards, so if a move to England does materialise, Locatelli may prefer to play under a coach who knows him well.
Be sure to keep an eye on this saga going into 2023, as anything could happen.
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