All you can do is reminisce, Juventini. Reminisce over the times when you had Paul “Mr Compilation” Pogba, Claudio ” Il Principino” Marchisio, and Andrea “Il Maestro” Pirlo functioning as a midfield triumvirate.
Heck, it’s even worth remembering the Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira, and Blaise Matuidi trio compared to what, ironically, Pirlo is working with right now in the middle of the park.
In short, Juve’s current midfield is an insult to its predecessors, with their shortcomings in this department only exacerbated further by the injury sustained to summer arrival Arthur Melo.
The Brazilian’s absence has facilitated the establishment of the Rodrigo Bentancur x Adrien Rabiot pivot and, well, it’s been turbulent – at best.
At its apex, the partnership is conservative and balanced but at its worst… let’s not even go there. Not good.
What about Houssem Aouar?
Despite bolstering in this regard in the summer, Juve’s need for superior midfield options is stark. We’ve already discussed the possibility of Houssem Aouar – who remains on the Bianconeri’s radar – arriving from Lyon and while the Frenchman would undeniably be a welcome addition, he may not necessarily be a priority, especially in the current financial climate.
Essentially, signing Aouar – who excels going forward but has shortcomings defensively – is like adding a spoiler to a worse-for-wear Fiat, rather than replacing the faulty engine.
The aforementioned engine arrives in the 6″1 frame of someone a little closer to home: Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli.
Tuttosport (via Football Italia) reports that the Old Lady are prioritising a move for the 22-year-old Italian international in the summer, while Nicolo Schira adds that the Turin giants are in “pole” position to sign the €40m midfielder despite interest from Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.
Rebuilt reputation
After bursting onto the calcio scene as an 18-year-old with a wonderful strike against, you guessed it, Juventus back in 2016 to hand AC Milan a memorable 1-0 victory, Locatelli’s spell for the Rossoneri petered out miserably.
His career, however, has been revitalised – and arguably saved – by the superb Roberto De Zerbi at Sassuolo, with Locatelli swiftly emerging as the key cog in the innovative coach’s complex machine.
The Italian functions in the double pivot of Sass’ 4-2-3-1 and is pivotal to De Zerbi’s meticulous build-up patterns due to his technical security, impressive press-resistance and distinct confidence in his own ability. Locatelli’s the epitome of elegance in a physical form. A wonderful passer whose adept at producing both swashbuckling switches of play and piercing vertical passes through the core of the opposition’s defensive structure to completely alter the dynamic of attacks.
He’s more than a mere sprayer, though. He’s incredibly dynamic and he certainly shouldn’t be classed as your archetypal regista. Nevertheless, stats from FBRef highlight his impressive passing repertoire: Locatelli sits in the 95th percentile of all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year when it comes to progressive passes (7.25 per 90 mins).
However, he also ranks in the 75th percentile in regards to progressive carries (5.22 per 90) and touches in the opposition box (1.59) – depicting his non-regista profile. Instead, Locatelli’s an all-action midfielder.
While Locatelli is a multifaceted ball progression maestro, Bentancur and Rabiot are both a tad one-dimensional. For example, the former boasts 6.45 progressive passes per 90 but only 2.79 progressive carries, while the latter’s numbers read 4.08 and 5.51 in the respective metrics.
Nevertheless, it’s the Sassuolo star’s underrated defensive nous that separates him from other possible midfield options and gives me more confidence that he could excel in Pirlo’s pivot as opposed to Aouar. The 22-year-old’s 2.74 tackles per 90, 1.97 clearances (career-high), 1.89 blocks (career-high) and 1.21 interceptions (career-high) are steady but consistent figures.
Overall, Locatelli’s made stark improvements out of possession this term, meaning he’s now evolved into a player who shines in all phases of play. He’s always been a superb transition player due to his athleticism (although not especially quick) and ability to carry/pass the ball over longer distances.
In summary, Locatelli may well be the midfielder Juve are crying out for. Like Aouar, they’ve experienced his magic first-hand – he was superb in Sassuolo’s 3-1 defeat to the Bianconeri back in January – and should the Bianconeri hierarchy opt to move for the majestic Italian, they’d be wise to act swiftly.
There’s potential for his value to sky-rocket should Roberto Mancini grant him minutes in Italy’s stacked midfield at the European Championships this summer.