Juventus Transfers: Andrea Pirlo wants to sign one of Serie A’s breakout stars in January

Juventus still have eyes on the best midfielders in Serie A despite making upgrades this past summer, and they could sign a rising star in January.

The Bianconeri have not had an ideal start to the 2020-2021 season. Andrea Pirlo still needs time for his vision of the team to come together, but at least some of the new faces – specifically striker Alvaro Morata, midfielder Arthur Melo, and winger Federico Chiesa – are settling into Juventus as key players.

Although Juventus made a couple of big upgrades to their midfield this summer in Arthur and Weston McKennie, they are still in the market for a young midfielder. And they could even make a play for one as soon as January.

According to a report from Calciomercato.com, Juventus’ Chief Football Officer Fabio Paratici will make an attempt to sign Sassuolo star Manuel Locatelli in January at the request of Andrea Pirlo.

Juve tried to sign Locatelli in the summer, but they were not able to seal a deal. Sassuolo are one of the best teams in Serie A and sit in second place in the table, three spots ahead of the Bianconeri to start the season.

Manuel Locatelli would arguably be Juventus’ best midfielder if signed

Locatelli has been a huge reason for their success. He was good last season, but he has been a legitimate star player this season as one of Serie A’s biggest breakout stars.

According to WhoScored.com, Locatelli has two goals, 1.1 key passes per game, and a pass completion percentage in the high 80’s. Defensively, Locatelli has 3.1 tackles per game and 1.4 interceptions per game, adding so much leadership and tenacity to the Sassuolo defense.

Adrien Rabiot has stepped up defensively, Rodrigo Bentancur is great at putting in the work, and Arthur is class. McKennie also brings high work-rate and defensive quality off the bench, in addition to some playmaking.

So Juventus have the pieces. But Locatelli might be better than all those players, with the likely exception of former Barcelona man Arthur. He is also just 22 and is performing at a high level in Serie A for longer than those players.

The Bianconeri must be careful. Sassuolo won’t sell such a crucial young player and emerging leader in midfield for cheap. But if Pirlo wants him and sees him as part of the team’s core vision for the next five years, then Paratici would be wise to make an attempt.