Arsenal’s search for midfield reinforcement has seen us linked with all kinds of names this summer, but perhaps the most exciting one is Manuel Locatelli.
The Italian has impressed at Euro 2020, his range of passing is glorious, he can score goals, and he has lovely curly hair.
In general, Arsenal and Italian footballers don’t mix, but it seems as if this is a case we are actively pursuing, with Sassuolo director Giovanni Carnevali confirming that the Gunners have made an approach for the player.
Speaking to Sky Sports (via Football Italia), he said of the 23 year old, “We are trying to leave the lad calm, so I haven’t spoken to him or his agents yet. We can think about Locatelli’s future, but above all we care about his present and that means Italy doing well at the Euros.
“Juventus are the only Italian club we talked to about Locatelli. They have interest, we spoke to Cherubini last week. We have not yet discussed the financial details, but we have a good rapport and will talk it over soon.
“It’s true that there are foreign clubs interested, including Arsenal, and so far they are ahead and are the only side realistically to have made an important proposal for Manuel.”
Being interested is one thing, making a deal like this happen is something else entirely. It’s widely believed that Locatelli will make the move to Juventus as they begin a rebuild, and it will take plenty of money and all the powers of persuasion of Mikel Arteta and Edu to convince him to join Arsenal.
The midfielder began his career at AC Milan where, under the control of Ivan Gazidis, they let him to go Sassuolo, first on loan and then on a permanent basis. His performances in Serie A have generated interest, and shining on the Euros stage will give him plenty of options to choose from.
It’s still hard to see him in red and white, but you never know, stranger things have happened.
Too good to be true, but I can dream
Yeah. I hope we don’t waste too much time chasing players who are using us as leverage to get the move they want.
James’ words on the pod hurt. But right now, unless you are a hungry up and comer, why would you want to sign for Arsenal?
I think it’s very very risky to judge players on euro performance. He plays for Italy, so far they have played 4 games against opponents who not many players would get anywhere near a top team. It can be easier to play at higher level against less gifted players. I was always thought I was a special playing over hackney marshes against a shit comedic pub team. Next week against some good players I was bang average 🤓
Yeah, you’re so right. How often does the previously unknown tournament sensation really turn into an incredible club player?
I hope he’s been on the radar before this. Otherwise you have to be really concerned about Arteta and Edu’s recruitment policy.
Maybe they wait to see the rumours on Twitter and act accordingly. “Hey Mikel, we’d better make a move for Gaith Rainsbruv, everyone on Twitter reckons he’ll be shit hot at right back.”
At these times the name Royston Drenthe always springs to mind.
He was playing somewhere in the Netherlands if I remember correctly, then had an amazing few games as an attacking left back/wing back in an international tournament. His style was quite modern at the time.
He was pretty heavily linked to us, but Real Madrid stepped in and snapped him up for a lot of money. Ultimately he never made it there, not sure where he ended up, but there lies the cautionary tale of the surprise tournament star!
Plus this sounds like we’re being used to flush out a bid from another club, and not for the first time!
Sergio Ramos has done this his entire career. Poor Man United. They always think they are going to get him! And then he signs a massive new deal.
But I’m guessing the Juve team will be like, “Ok, does he want champions league football at a 36 times league winning team? Or does he want to get shouted at by 60,000 pissed off cockney’s every week?”
John Jensen the 1 goal wonder comes to mind too.
Yes but also Freddie Ljundberg, after impressing for Sweden, did rather well for us, I seem to recall?
I researched that out of interest, it is really a pretty deep fall. After about 50 games for Real in 3 seasons, he went to Alicante (still LaLiga back then), followed by Everton, a Russian club, then to the Championship playing for Reading and Wednesday, followed by a stint in Turkey, the Emirates (the country, not the stadium), the highest Dutch league, followed by the dutch second division and he now plays in the Spanish Tercera Division. On another note: “In general, Arsenal and Italian footballers don’t mix…”. Who says that and what is the proof for that? Is it… Read more »
There have been some amazing Italian players in the PL. Arsenal for whatever reason seem to never recruit Italian players however. Vito Mannoune & Atruro Lupoli are the only 2 I know of.
This is the point tho really. If Di Canio, Zola, Di Matteo etc can make hugely successful PL careers then there is no reason to automatically think that Locatelli can’t do it at Arsenal. Also he is not a unknown international tournament sensation, he has been highly regarded for a couple of years now ( well at least in Football Manager, and Torreira was a star in that )
I don’t disagree. I was simply stating a fact that Arsenal – really Wenger as he was in charge during the influx of foreign talent, haven’t signed Italian players.
Viviano as well.
There’s nothing about being Italian or coming from Italy that has any bearing on a player’s success in England. The issue here is simply that not many Italians make that switch and so the pool from which we can judge their success is very small. A few make it, a few don’t, but the operative word there is “few.” Only a few actually come to England. As to why that’s the case, it’s to do with a combination of the national and football cultures in Italy, similar to the reasons why so few top English players seek to play abroad… Read more »
Real, Barcelona and City should fight to get Xhaka and Seferovic based on this EURO.
Good point, given our lowly new position it’s time to play the other side.
I remember him. He played for them regularly one season and then Marcelo turned up and that was the end of that. I seem to remember him having a spell in England at some point. Haven’t heard about him since.
I’m having el Hadji Diouf to Liverpool vibes here. And the fact italians always turn up on any international stage, there’s something about them playing with their countrymen vs being the sole Italian on foreign lands.
Definitely risky.
I think both Johnny and Bleeding Gums are missing an important point. It’s one thing when a player is a tournament sensation for Ukraine or Iceland–very different for France or Italy. English fans may never have heard of Ribery or even Mbappe when they seemed to come out of nowhere in the World Cup. But neither would ever have been in the France squad in the first place unless they were highly rated. It may be a mistake (or impossible) for Arsenal to get Locatelli–but no one who starts for Italy is an unknown.
Arsenal have been linked to Locatelli for a few months now. Same with Juventus. Sassuolo overperformed last season, and Locatelli was an important part of that team. And he’s grown over the past 2 seasons, shown great character after the disappointment at Milan.
After the last WC, I wanted Arsenal to sign Yeri Mina at all cost. Not a bad player but I thought he was the best CB you could ever get.
Why wouldn’t you wsnt to sign for Arsenal from Sassuelo?
Yeah this smacks is leverage from sasoulo. He’d be a great addition so maybe of we work fast, but that’s generally not our style in the market so it seems Unlikely, eh?
Especially when you could go and play for Nuno at Tottenham.
This seems like the kind of transfer I will obsess about and check for updates 12x a day only to watch him leave for Juventus after a few weeks :/
Enjoy your Summer mate, leave the phone down. Come back in August. For another nine months of fucking misery.
Sounds as if you don’t enjoy following the Arsenal at all!
Stinks of the club putting pressuring on Juventus, but I’d love to be wrong. The man would be a wonderful addition to our rebuild
For any other leagues maybe for Serie A and Bundesliga no. If a player and clubs want to join/ sell to Juve or Bayern it doesn’t matter who else you throw your other interest onto.
You have to understand how the good working relations with Juve work. Sometimes Juve can help them buy players so they co-own. If a player does well they pay Juve over time, if he excels then Juve buys them out fairly well. Then loaning and selling deadwood to the lower clubs at reasonable fees.
If Juve want Locateli he will join Juve
He could hang out with Jorginhho in London
Loca n Partey will be a good thing to try in Mid field. One box to box and another to break attack and build
Aren’t we doing the poo-o-metre anymore? I’m only going to base my assumptions on anyone joining on how firm or soft a poo it is 💩
Pooometre is more about the faecal volume than the consistency
This would be a good purchase
If he joins I look forward to Italian gestures.
I look forward to seeing if he’s a wiseguy or a goodfella.
I heard the cafeteria at London Colney is serving gabagool next week. Perhaps we can entice him with a serving of that, no?
🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
Confirmed, his hair is sumptous
💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Just another speculative transfer rumour to help the selling club I think. Virtually all the top Italian talents always go to Juventus.
It is interesting to see Arsenal targeting U23 players from other leagues compared to our usual preference for players in their late 20s from the French, German and Spanish leagues.
So far we’ve had more concrete transfer links to younger players from the Belgian, Portuguese, English and Italian leagues. Except from the Premier League, I can’t remember the last time we signed guys from the other leagues. Looks like the club is looking for something different this time.
Brillant at the Euroes, but only 4 goals and 2 assists in serie A last year. Does that give you any second thoughts?
no he’s a deep lying playmaker akin to pirlo or xhaka not the next frank lampard
If we’re looking at that profile wouldn’t Ruben Neves be a safer option ?
where’s the poometer when you need it
Wait until Arteta freezes that free-flowing mane with a economy sized tub of Gorilla glue and the free-flowing passing with some good old fashioned sideways and backwards LEGOball. I jest, I jest.
Seriously, he could actually be a good signing. If Juve don’t beat us to it…..
A man can dream.
Would Juve fancy a Guendouzi or Torreira? Or some other team who may let one of theirs leave for Juve if they’d gotten on one of the above.
Over to you Edu & Arteta.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The good thing is Arsenal have thrown their hat into the ring.
You never know in which direction the pendulum swings.
Even if we lose out, this interest confirms Arsenal’s strategy of bringing down the age of the squad. He is 23.
Gazidis.. So glad he’s not at the club anymore
Yeah, we’ve done so well since he’s left, and look how he’s dragged down Milan. Only a lousy 2nd place this season. Good riddance, I say.
And where’s the Poometer when you need it?
If we can’t get Verratti in, I’ll settle for this
Swap him for Torreira and a few lira cash.
Why would they want Turkish money?
Young’n
Not young at all. In fact, I probably still have some Lire knocking about somewhere. With it being defunct, it wouldn’t be worth anything though.
If they get this one over the line, they’ll be forgiven for Cedric, Willian and Runarsson!
I can forget about them for a while, but I’m not willing to forgive just yet haha.
This guy reminds me of Cazorla, I really hope we sign him. Not as two footed as Santi but fantastic touch, uses his dribbling skills to get out of trouble and can make short and long passes with no trouble. If he can get him, it’s truly gonna be a Partey in midfield.
The important thing for us is to stay calm.
Would be a great addition. If any big teams like Juve are genuinely interested we are no chance. No European football and a squad in transition with an unproven manager is hardly appealing. As was mentioned on the arsecast the other day, players aren’t enthused by the prospect of being wanted by Arsenal these days.
can i be annoying, and italian speakers please correct me if i’m wrong, but maybe ‘important proposal’ is better translated as ‘made a significant/major offer’
hopefully juve are bankrupt or something and we can have him!!
Aka – he’s off to Juventus!
Bissouma dreams slowly fade into the distance…
Locatelli goes to Juventus, Ramsey comes home? Hey, I’m allowed to dream.
More media nonsense.
Just over a month to the new season and this “busy summer” has amounted to absolutely nothing.
If anyone needs to be worried about this it should be Arteta. A run of poor form before Christmas and he will be gone…