By Daily sports on August 18, 2021

Juventus have reached an agreement to sign Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo in a loan deal that includes a €35 million (£30m/$41m) obligation to buy, Goal can confirm.

The Serie A giants have been chasing Locatelli's signature for many months, having seen him enjoy a stellar 2020-21 campaign at Sassuolo to help the club secure an eighth-place finish in Italy's top flight.

Arsenal have also been strongly linked with the 23-year-old, but Goal understands his preferred next destination has always been the Allianz Stadium, and the Bianconeri have now finally managed to strike a deal.

Juve will pay €5m to bring in Locatelli on an initial loan, and Sassuolo will receive the remaining €30m (£26m/$35m) when his move is made permanent in the summer of 2022.

The Italy international is set to commit his future to the Old Lady for the next five years, with an official announcement expected later on Tuesday.

Locatelli is due to fly to Turin before undertaking a medical at Juve’s training ground, bringing to an end his three-year stay at Sassuolo.

Locatelli will now join Massimiliano Allegri’s all-star midfield ranks at the Allianz Stadium where he will be competing for minutes alongside the likes of Federico Bernardeschi, Dejan Kulusevski, Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey.

He has proved that he can handle the demands of playing at the highest level already, though, having played a key role in Italy's run to European Championship glory earlier this year.

Locatelli also has the versatility to add a new dimension to Juve’s side, with the outgoing Sassuolo star equally adept at operating as a box-to-box midfielder or in a holding role, with a capacity for breaking into the final third and unlocking defences with his impressive passing range.

Bianconeri supporters will hope that his presence can help them wrestle back the Serie A title from Inter in 2021-22 and mount a serious challenge for the Champions League, which they haven’t won since way back in 1996. (Goal)

•PHOTO: Manuel Locatelli 

Source Daily sports

Posted August 18, 2021

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