Revealed: Rabiot wasn't the only Juventus midfielder Man Utd wanted
Karan Tejwani
- Updated: 1 Oct 2022 14:37 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United were interested in signing Adrien Rabiot in the summer transfer window and were reportedly close to a deal, but a move didn’t work out as the two parties couldn’t agree on personal terms.
He wasn’t the only Juventus midfielder they maintained an interest in, however, as they also targeted Manuel Locatelli, who rise has been impressive in recent years.
The Red Devils were eager to sign a midfielder all summer, having chased Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong for much of it, and having signed Casemiro from Real Madrid and Christian Eriksen on a free transfer.
Late in the window, though, they had eyes on Locatelli, who they were eager to bring over to Old Trafford, but the Italian star refused the move quickly, forcing the English side to look at other targets.
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Man Utd were interested in Locatelli
Locatelli only moved to Juventus in the summer of 2021 after some fine displays in Italy’s successful run to winning Euro 2020, and he was destined for big things with the Bianconeri.
However, he, like much of the Juventus team, struggled under Massimiliano Allegri’s reign in the 2021-22 season as the record Italian champions had a poor season, finishing trophyless and only qualifying for the Champions League.
Along with Juventus, Arsenal were also interested in the player’s signature, but he only wanted a move to Turin last summer as he felt he could be an important part of the team’s return to being domestic champions.
#Arsenal are reportedly considering making another attempt at signing Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli in either January or June. The 24-year-old was linked to a move to the Emirates last year. [via https://t.co/UdKfoqfKMv / @AleDigio89] #afc pic.twitter.com/1Dspf02fHk
— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) September 30, 2022
Depending on how Juventus perform this season, Arsenal may still be keeping tabs on the player and may look to make a move for him next summer if they feel it’s a viable option.
Sportmediaset, however, say that Manchester United were strong admirers of the player but he had no intention to leave the Turin club this year, preferring to make things work at Juventus rather than leave after just a season.
