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Arsenal ready to reignite interest in Manuel Locatelli

By Ritayan Chatterjee on March 6, 2023

Arsenal are reportedly planning to reignite their interest in signing Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli, as per Calciomercatoweb.

The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium before his switch to Juventus during the summer of 2021. However, despite failing to lure him to north London last time around, it appears the Gunners haven’t given up on their hope of signing the Italy international and are still keen on purchasing the highly talented midfielder.

According to the report by Calciomercatoweb, Arsenal are ready to revive their interest in signing Locatelli and are ready to offer Kieran Tierney, who has fallen out of favour this season, as part-exchange to secure the long-term target’s signature.

Having been punished with a 15 points deduction due to financial irregularities, Juventus are currently 12 points behind the top four. It has been reported that the Bianconeri are likely to face big losses should they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season and in that case, they could look to cash in on some of their star players to balance their books.

Locatelli – valued at around £27m by Transfermarkt – could be one of the stars who might come under the chopping block and if that were to be the case then Arsenal would be handed a huge boost in their attempts to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.

Locatelli to Arsenal

Meanwhile, after struggling to find regular game time this season, Tierney has been linked with a move away from the north London club in recent times. So, with the Scotland international seemingly surplus to requirements at Arsenal, offering him to sign Locatelli would be a very good decision, especially given they are actively looking to strengthen the midfield for next season.

Locatelli is a deep-lying playmaker who is technically sound, can play threading passes between the lines, has an eye for long-range passing and also has the ability to score goals from distance.

The former Sassuolo man has already showcased his talent in Serie A and also at the international level, helping his nation in winning the Euro 2020 a few years ago. So, he would be a great acquisition for Arsenal and the midfielder would be an ideal option to support both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey if he were to join the club.

However, it has widely been touted that Arteta’s side are prioritising a move for Declan Rice. Therefore, Locatelli could be an alternative target that Arsenal are lining up if they fail to broker a deal for the West Ham ace.