Man Utd target emerging Serie A midfielder compared to Dele Alli
FT Desk
- 8 Oct 2022 16:04 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United want to sign Italy midfielder Davide Frattesi from Sassuolo according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Gazzetta report that United are planning a January swoop for the 23-year-old, but they face some serious competition for his signature.
"The Sassuolo midfielder has been courted in recent months by Inter and Roma, who have not let up," reports Andrea Ramazzotti, who then further elucidates Frattesi's recent transfer interest.
I gol neroverdi di #SassuoloVenezia 📺
Prima rete in @SerieA per Davide #Frattesi 👏#ForzaSasol 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/QhejCgdu3j— U.S. Sassuolo (@SassuoloUS) October 24, 2021
"Monza wanted him back last January to help their promotion to Serie A and [club owner] Silvio Berlusconi personally intervened to try and snatch him from Sassuolo. Inter have thought about him as a depute for [Marco] Barella but have clashed over a transfer fee."
Frattesi is rated at €25 million by Football Transfers sophisticated in-house algorithm, and Man Utd might be better placed than their Serie A rivals to fund such a move, especially mid-season.
United pursued the signature of Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona all summer but eventually settled for Real Madrid's midfield enforcer Casemiro for a cool €80m.
The Brazilian is more destroyer than creator, though, and Frattesi's signing would allow Erik ten Hag to fully utilise Christian Eriksen's skill-set without having to sacrifice him as a central midfielder, as has happened on occasion this season.
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How good is Frattesi?
A Roma youth product, Frattesi made his name at Sassuolo having failed to make a senior appearance for the capital club, now managed by Jose Mourinho.
He has now featured 49 times for the Neroverdi, having proved himself in loan spells with Ascoli, Empoli, and Berlusconi's Monza.
He had two shots per game over the last year despite starting as a 'carrera' in Sassuolo's 4-3-3 formation, averaging three touches in the opposition penalty area per 90, and broke into Roberto Mancini's Italy squad in June.
