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Arsenal can finally sign Manuel Locatelli in £30m deal this winter

By Ritayan Chatterjee on November 1, 2022

Arsenal have reportedly received a huge boost in pursuit of their long-term target and Juventus star Manuel Locatelli, as per the Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb.it.

The Gunners were keen on signing the 24-year-old during the 2021 summer transfer window before the midfielder opted to join Juventus, on a two-year loan deal with an obligation to sign for the Old Lady from Sassuolo. Since moving to the Allianz Stadium, the Italian has made 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and registering four assists.

Following a decent debut campaign, Locatelli has struggled to showcase his best so far this season and has failed to secure his place in Massimiliano Allegri’s first eleven.

An earlier report claimed that Arsenal remain interested in signing the Italy international and have already contacted Juventus over a possible January move.

Meanwhile, Calciomercatoweb.it is now stating that Juve are ready to cash in on Locatelli in this winter transfer window to sign Chelsea ace Jorginho. The Bianconeri could be open to letting their star man leave for a fee of around €35m (£30m).

The report also says that Arsenal would face a tough challenge to sign the highly-rated midfielder, given Chelsea are also showing interest in him.

Locatelli to Arsenal

Manuel Locatelli would be a great acquisition for Arsenal. The 24-year-old can play as the deep-lying playmaker as well as in the box-to-box role, therefore, he could be able to deputise for both Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.

Locatelli’s versatility would be a huge asset for Mikel Arteta and this would help the Spanish boss in rotating the squad and keep his midfield options fresh during the second half of this campaign if the club’s hierarchy manage to get this deal over the line in January.

The Italy international is technically gifted, can play threading passes between the lines and also has an eye for long-range passing. So, he possesses almost every attribute to play in Arteta’s system.

It will be interesting to see whether Arsenal decide to go for Locatelli in January. Signing the midfielder would be a no-brainer and the reported £30m fee would be an absolute bargain for a player of his quality.