Sassuolo chief Giovanni Carnevali admits his Serie A side received a bid on deadline day for the transfer of Davide Frattesi. He is a target of Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
Carnevali has revealed that a Premier League club sought to secure a last-gasp transfer for Frattesi in the final hours. But the Neroverdi managing director did not accept the offer for the 23-year-old. Although the Mapei Stadium natives did consider the bid before saying no.
Frattesi has been with Sassuolo since 2017 and only signed a new contract running to June 2026 last March. Yet his performances in Emilia-Romagna have attracted suitors from Italy and abroad in the midfielder. Even if Calciomercato reports that he will cost €35m (£31m).
Calciomercato cited Sassuolo’s valuation in October and it added that Juventus and Roma were interested in Frattesi’s transfer. While TuttoMercatoWEB reported in December that Napoli were rivalling interest from Tottenham and West Ham plus Brighton & Hove Albion.
Frattesi would like to join Roma if the four-cap Italy midfielder does leave Sassuolo, having joined the Neroverdi from the Giallorossi’s academy. He spent three years with Roma after switching youth ranks from rivals Lazio. Yet he did not play any senior games with the club.
Sassuolo confirm a late bid for Tottenham and West Ham transfer target Frattesi
Frattesi has developed into a key player for Sassuolo with five goals over 20 Serie A games so far this season. He has opened each of the Mapei Stadium side’s top-flight fixtures, plus their Coppa Italia defeat to Modena. While Frattesi’s efforts led to his Italy debut last June.
Now, Tottenham and West Ham are just two of the clubs to show an interest in a transfer with Sassuolo for Frattesi. An unnamed Premier League team also made the Neroverdi an offer as Tuesday’s deadline neared. But Carnevali would like the midfielder to stay in Italy.
“We had an offer a few hours ago from an English club for Frattesi,” Carnevali revealed to TuttoMercatoWEB on Tuesday night. “However, our policy will always be to raise our kids.
“Clearly, when an opportunity arises we consider it for their sake. For Frattesi, it would be nice if he could go and reinforce an Italian team, as happened with [Manuel] Locatelli.”
Arsenal sought to sign Locatelli from Sassuolo before Carnevali sold the Italy midfielder to Juventus in August 2021. The Bianconeri hired him on loan with a £30m obligation to buy. Locatelli’s agent had earlier claimed, via the Evening Standard, that the Gunners bid £34m.
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