Juventus have long been interested in signing Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli. The Bianconeri stepped up their interest in him following Euro 2020, where he starred for the Italy national team as they lifted the trophy in Wembley.
Sassuolo CEO Carnevali was clear about the fact that Locatelli wants to join Juventus, when speaking to Sky Sports. However, he added that Juventus will have to pay the right price if they want their star player to make the move.
€40 million is the price being demanded for the player, and Juventus are struggling to meet that valuation. According to Sky Sports Italy, the Bianconeri want to sort the deal out for a lower amount due to their financial struggles but the selling club are adamant that they won’t let the player go for cheap.
The two Serie A clubs have met each other on three occasions to discuss the transfer of Locatelli. However, they have been unable to see eye to eye on the fees to be paid. Juventus would rather sign the player on a two-year loan deal with the option to buy. The former champions are taking time to reflect on their strategies, and will restart negotiations soon.
Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in signing Locatelli, as confirmed by Carnevali earlier. They, too, will have to pay the right price to the Serie A club to secure the contract of the Italy international. Carnevali has set August 8th as the deadline for the transfer of the player, which means that any move going through will happen this week.