Manuel Locatelli held talks with Arsenal but turned down the Premier League leaders as he ‘wanted’ to join Serie A giants Juventus instead, the Italy international’s brother tells La Casa di C.
With the benefit of hindsight, Locatelli may now be forgiven for wondering, in the furthest recesses of his mind, if the decision he made during the summer of 2021 was the right one.
Because, while Arsenal are top of the table and dreaming of a first domestic crown since the ‘Invincibles’, Juventus are facing an uncertain future both on and off the pitch. A 15-point deduction imposed upon Max Allegri’s side leaves Juve closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
According to Give Me Sport, Locatelli is likely to have his fair share of offers if Juventus have to consider offers for the Euro 2020 winner. Long-time admirers Arsenal may be tempted to renew their interest.
Juventus beat Arsenal to Italy international Manuel Locatelli
“I still remember the negotiation (that took him to Juventus). For him it was very long,” says Mattia Locatelli. “There was also Arsenal, but he wanted Juventus.
“The clubs kept meeting, but without reaching an agreement. Every day I looked at Gazzetta dello Sport to check (what was happening).
Juventus eventually stumped up £40 million for the one-time AC Milan youngster. After weeks of speculation, they outbid an Arsenal side who, according to Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali, made bid of their own earlier in the window.
Locatelli is a boyhood Juve fanatic; his admiration for the Bianconeri a key reason why he rejected Arsenal’s advances. As such, do not expect to see Locatelli leap for the lifeboats if the Juve ship sinks under the weight of their penalties (Financial Times).
“He gives everything for Juve,” Mattia explains. “He loves those colours. Manuel is very happy to be there.”
“(Locatelli) only wanted to go to Juventus,” Carnevali adds. “We received offers from Arsenal and other clubs, but there was nothing we could do.”
Locatelli has started 17 Serie A games so far in 2022/23. His form, however, has often left a lot to be desired; the 25-year-old struggling at times in a more withdrawn role, having shone as a box-to-box dynamo at Sassuolo.
“Locatelli (is a) flop,” former Roma man Stefano Impallomeni tells Tuttomercatoweb. “He looks like another player compared to the one seen at Sassuolo.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, will be in the market for a new central midfielder this summer; West Ham captain Declan Rice is currently their number one target.
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