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Juventus Transfers: Bianconeri close in on Manuel Locatelli

By James Cormack

FLORENCE, ITALY - JULY 04: Manuel Locatelli of Italy in action during Italy training session at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on July 04, 2021 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
FLORENCE, ITALY - JULY 04: Manuel Locatelli of Italy in action during Italy training session at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on July 04, 2021 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) /
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Juventus have made huge strides towards securing the signing of Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli on Friday afternoon, with reports suggesting a deal should be struck next week.

It’s no secret that Locatelli, whose stock has risen exponentially over the past 18 months and was bolstered by a fine Euro 2020 campaign, is the club’s priority target this summer. However, the financial strains brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented Juve from matching Sassuolo’s valuation.

It’s been a quiet summer transfer window on the black and white side of Turin in terms of both incoming and outgoings, with young Santos striker Kaio Jorge being the club’s only signing up to this point.

However, it looks like Locatelli will finally become their second addition of the summer following an incredibly dull saga.

Friday’s meeting

Friday was widely regarded as a pivotal day in Locatelli negotiations, with Juventus and Sassuolo officially meeting for the fourth time in a bid to strike an agreement for the midfielder.

Sassuolo have made it clear that they will accept nothing less than €35m for their star man. Although, they’ve had to reject Arsenal’s €40m proposal due to the player’s desire to join Juve.

The financially stricken Bianconeri hadn’t yet come close to Sassuolo’s valuation before Friday’s meeting.

Nevertheless, it appears that there’s been a breakthrough.

Fabrizio Romano understands that Juve are “getting closer” to the signing of Locatelli, with the clubs set to reach an agreement on a final fee. The pair will meet again next week to whittle down the final details, including the structure of the deal. A loan with an obligation to buy is likely.

Romeo Agresti adds that another “summit” is scheduled next week with the aim of concluding negotiations with a final agreement.

However, even if a deal is struck early next week, it’ll be incredibly unlikely for the Italy international to suit up for Juventus’ season-opener against Udinese on August 22. Nevertheless, Locatelli will be well worth the wait.

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