Sassuolo threatened to take “revenge” on European Super League clubs with chief executive Giovanni Carnevali insisting reported Arsenal and Manchester City target Manuel Locatelli would be more expensive than ever.
When the Daily Mail claimed Man City had made the Italy international their top summer target three months ago, Sassuolo were reported to be demanding a fee in the region of £30 million.
But if the likes of City and Arsenal had gone ahead with the universally panned and ironically named European Super League, Locatelli would have cost a darn sight more.
“If a request (for one of our players) comes from a Super League club, the price tag increases,” said an incensed Carnevali, via Gazzetta dello Sport.
“If the Super League is done, the big clubs will recover a lot of money,” he adds, via MaxiFoot. “And we intend to take our revenge.
“Locatelli is very important to us. He has offers both from Italy and abroad.
“Those who join this project have a great responsibility because they risk killing our league. Football is passion. We have a history and a culture others don’t have.
“We, at Sassuolo, are not interested. We risk losing our passion. Football must be sport, fun and union.”
Earlier this week, Il Resto del Carlino reported Arsenal were also interested in Locatelli, a classy, deep-lying ball-player who looks a perfect fit alongside Thomas Partey in a new-look Mikel Arteta engine room.
And, after Arsenal and Manchester City walked away from the European Super League with their tails between their legs, it will be interesting to see how the events of the past 48 hours affects the future of the much-admired Locatelli.
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