Alessandro Nesta told Stadium Astro why reported Arsenal and Tottenham target, Manuel Locatelli, struggled during his time at AC Milan.
The Italian legend shared that the thriving Euro 2020 star was a ‘very good player’ but the pressures of being at a historic club like AC Milan may have weighed on his shoulders a bit too much.
And whilst Locatelli was moved on by AC Milan in 2018, he has now seen his technical talents linked with the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal, as reported by Gazzetta Dello Sport.
Given Locatelli’s fall and rise, Nesta now admitted that he doesn’t know how much the 23-year-old will now be worth in the transfer market.
“Yes, I think so (on AC Milan regret in selling him to Sassuolo),” said Nesta. “Locatelli was a young and a very good player. But it’s not easy to play in San Siro.
“When you are young for AC Milan. The history. The stadium. The club. It is big. And if you’re not ready then it’s difficult. This is the reason they sell to Sassuolo.
“But now I don’t know how much Locatelli costs.”
Locatelli’s story perhaps mirrors that of Declan Rice in the Premier League, who wasn’t deemed good enough by Chelsea, but he’s now thriving in West Ham colours.
There’s no doubt that Locatelli is a more forward-thinking midfielder than Rice and his recent brace during Italy’s 3-0 against Switzerland was just a glimpse of his talents.
A progressive passer in the middle of the park, Locatelli’s intelligence to constantly find space and control games in the middle of the park is what Spurs and Arsenal fans crave.
And whilst he had a strong season in Sassuolo colours in 2020/21, it is said before that it’s not wise pushing for a player’s talents on the back of a major tournament, so it’s interesting to see how things pan out with him now.
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