Locatelli comments on future following Euro 2020 win and Arsenal links

Martin Macdonald

• 13 Jul 2021 10:03 BST
• 4 min read

Manuel Locatelli says he will begin thinking about his future this week amid continued speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal or Juventus.

The Sassuolo midfielder is coming off a Euro 2020 victory with Italy, and although he was in and out of the team throughout the tournament, he made a key impact in a win against Switzerland, scoring two goals.

Even before the international competition had begun, Locatelli was strongly linked with a move away from Sassuolo.

Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester City were all mentioned as possible destinations, though the links to the Premier League champions have died down recently.

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Despite being valued at €33.9 million, reports in England and Italy have suggested Locatelli could leave Sassuolo for upwards of €40 million depending on what clubs intend on making offers.

Locatelli, though sill coy on what his plans are, has commented again on the speculation, having been asked about it throughout Euro 2020.

"I haven't really thought about my next club so far, I was focused on the national team," Locatelli told Sky Italia following Sunday's Euro 2020 final victory over England. "From tomorrow [Monday] we will see what happens.

"I support Juventus? Right now we are here for the national team, so I support Italy."

Are Arsenal leading the race for Locatelli?

Though Locatelli is believed to prefer a move to the Allianz Stadium in order to play Champions League football, recent words from Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali suggest that Juventus are behind another club in the race for the talented midfielder.

Last week, before Italy won Euro 2020, he said:

“We’re in talks for Locatelli with one club from abroad... and it’s really advanced,” said Carnevali in an interview with Sky Italia.

“We’re going to meet with Juventus in the next few days, but there are no negotiations yet with Juve as Italian clubs are in difficult financial situation.”

The Gunners are looking to strengthen in a number of areas this summer.

They have already signed Nuno Tavares as a backup at left-back for Kieran Tierney, while they have prioritised the acquisition of a player to play in the number 10 position following Martin Odegaard's return to Real Madrid.

James Maddison of Leicester is top of their target list at the moment.

Should Locatelli be signed, it might be as a replacement for Granit Xhaka, who is wanted by Roma.