Juventus’ sporting director Federico Cherubini was not happy with Sassuolo’s stance during negotiations regarding a £30 million deal for Manuel Locatelli while highlighting Arsenal’s role in proceedings, speaking via Gazzetta dello Sport.
Cherubini, it seems, obviously felt that Juventus had enough credit in the bank with Sassuolo.
Juve paid around £15 million to sign Merih Demiral on the back of just 14 games for the Mapei Stadium outfit, after all. They also also allowed both Pol Lirola and Simone Zaza to leave Turin for the Neroverdi.
Cherubini, then, was maybe expecting preferential treatment when Juventus came calling for Locatelli during the summer of 2021, only to find out that the 36-time Serie A champions were going head-to-head with Arsenal for the midfielder’s signature.
Arsenal wanted Italy international Manuel Locatelli before he joined Serie A giants Juventus
“If I’m in a partnership and then I’m treated like Arsenal, like a client you’ve never seen, what kind of partnership is it?,” Cherubini said, via JuventusNews24.
“If I sit down and Giovanni (Carnevali, Sassuolo CEO) gives me the same conditions as Edu from Arsenal, who he has never seen in his life, then what is the value of our relationship?
“What happened to the eight million he earned in six months with Demiral? What happened to our decisive support when he took (Stefano) Sensi? And Zaza? And the 13 million taken from Lirola?”
Locatelli, a boyhood Juventus supporter and a European Champion with Italy in 2021, eventually rebuffed Arsenal’s advances in favour of a £30 million switch to the Allianz Stadium.
“(Locatelli) only wanted to go to Juventus,” Carnevali said at the time. “We received offers from Arsenal and other clubs, but there was nothing we could do. He was determined.”
Sassuolo could be set for more big sales
The former AC Milan youngster has endured a mixed time in black-and-white so far; struggling to rediscover the form he showed at the heart of Sassuolo’s engine room under Juve boss Max Allegri.
“Locatelli (is a) flop,” former Roma man Stefano Impallomeni tells Tuttomercatoweb. “He looks like another player compared to the one seen at Sassuolo.”
Sassuolo are now facing yet more interest in their most exciting talent. Attacking midfielder Davide Frattesi is reportedly a target for both Tottenham and Brighton of late. So too a West Ham side who spent £30 million on Gianluca Scamacca over the summer.
“In January, we will not sell our most important players,” Carnevali insists. “Frattesi is a valid player with great prospects. There are also foreign clubs after him. Our goal is to keep Frattesi at least until June, then we will make the necessary evaluations.”
Carnevali admits that Roma have already held talks with the youngster.
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