West Ham face competition from Arsenal for the signing of Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli in the January transfer window.
That’s according to a report from Il Bianconero who claim that Arsenal will have no problem meeting Juventus’s €40 million (£35 million) asking price for Locatelli.
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The Juventus ace has struggled to live up to his reputation since moving to Turin from Sassuolo in the summer of 2021.
With Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta keen to bring the 24-capped Italy international to the Emirates as well though, Moyes will definitely have his work cut out.
Locatelli’s two-year loan deal at Juve ends next summer, but the Old Lady have an obligation to buy the midfielder for €40 million (£35 million).
It appears as though the Italian giants could trigger that obligation early though, and then move him on in January.
Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri doesn’t consider Locatelli to be a first-team regular and as a result, he could be moved on from Turin sooner rather than later…
Arsenal and West Ham battling it out for Manuel Locatelli
The Gunners apparently have no problem meeting Juve’s £35 million asking price for the 24-year-old, whilst the Hammers are in the race for his signature as well (Il Bianconero).
What a signing Manuel Locatelli would be for Arsenal or West Ham. The Italian is a truly top-class central midfielder, despite his struggles at Juventus.
The ex-Sassuolo ace has experienced problems since moving to Juventus, but he seems to have turned a corner recently and rediscovered his best form.
He bagged three goals and four assists in 31 Serie A games for the Italian giants last season (Who Scored).
During those outings, he made 45.8 passes on average per game and recorded an impressive completion rate of 85.8% (Who Scored).
Locatelli is highly experienced in playing elite level football, in spite of his relatively tender years.
The 24-year-old midfielder has 24 caps for Italy to his name and played a key role for his country during their triumphant Euro 2020 campaign.
Locatelli has been described as a ‘complete’ player by Eurosport, so it’s no wonder why Arsenal and West Ham might want to sign him.
Now, at first glance many might think that Arsenal are far better positioned to sign the Juve star than the Hammers are.
And whilst I agree with that notion, there is one key issue here that people may be missing.
West Ham signed Locatelli’s old mate Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo in the summer. Both players spent a few years together with the Serie A side and are key members of the Italian national team.
When making a transfer from to a foreign league, it always makes the move a lot easier if there is a familiar face in the dressing room when you arrive.
And that’s obviously what Locatelli would get in the form of Scamacca, if he decided to join the Hammers.
West Ham may well have a lot of work to do to beat Arsenal in the race to sign Manuel Locatelli in January.
Arsenal are a club in a really exciting moment with a hugely impressive young manager at the helm. They are clearly going places, and the future looks very bright at the Emirates.
Perhaps Gianluca Scamacca will be able to tip the scales in West Ham’s favour in the race for Locatelli’s signature in January though.
Or maybe that’s just wishful taking from my part, who knows! Only time will tell.
Read also:
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