Reported Arsenal and Spurs target Manuel Locatelli could thrive at Juventus and may be the second coming of Toni Kroos, former coach Walter De Vecchi has told Italy24News.
It’s funny how things turn out.
Had Marco Verratti not suffered an injury that ruled him out of Italy’s Euro 2020 opener against Turkey a fortnight ago, Locatelli may have spent the entire tournament twiddling his thumbs and watching from the sidelines.
Instead, the Sassuolo maestro has blossomed into one of Euro 2020’s breakthrough stars for a swaggering Azzurri side, scoring one of the goals of the tournament on the way to a match-winning brace in the 3-0 triumph over Switzerland.
Locatelli was already a man in demand before the Euros – Manchester City had made him their number one midfield target before opting to hand Fernandinho a new deal – and he’ll certainly be in demand after it.
Arsenal and Spurs face losing out on Manuel Locatelli
Gazzetta dello Sport recently claimed Arsenal were set to make a £34 million bid, while new Tottenham Hotspur director Fabio Paratici is also a big fan.
As it stands, however, it looks as though Paratici will be pipped to the post by his old employers, with Juventus closing in on a deal for a player who rivals AC Milan sold in 2019 (Sky Sports).
“It was a pleasure to have Manuel as a player. I read that Juve are really interested in buying him. If he is happy, I am on his side,” says De Vecchi, who coached a young Locatelli in Milan.
“He could start a new journey at Juve because I consider (manager Max) Allegri a great connoisseur of talent, the only one who is equal to Fabio Capello, my former teammate, in this.
“(Allegri) will have understood Manuel represents the icing on the cake for the Juventus midfield.
“Manuel looks more and more like Toni Kroos for vision of the game and quality on the pitch. He is the Italian midfielder who (has the most) touches so he will have to go to a club that has the ball. I hope he has the same career as (Kroos).”
Given that Kroos has lifted a staggering 23 trophies – including five league titles, four Champions Leagues and the 2014 World Cup – that may be wishful thinking.
Landing Locatelli, however, would undoubtedly strengthen a Juventus side that finished fourth in Serie A last season, especially given a lack of control and presence in central midfield has been a problem at the Allianz Stadium for a while.
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