Man Utd plan to beat Juventus to Italy midfielder

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 24 Mar 2023 10:06 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United are ready to battle it out with Juventus in the race to sign highly-rated Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi this summer.

The 23-year-old, who is valued at €25.4M, broke into the Sassuolo first team last season and has been an ever-present for the Neroverdi in Serie A this term.

Man Utd were previously linked with Frattesi back in November – and, while no January move ever materialised, the Gazzetta dello Sport report that the Premier League giants are still tracking him.

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The Italy international has started 26 of Sassuolo’s 27 Serie A games in 2022/23 and is his team’s joint top scorer with six goals – including one in January’s impressive 5-2 win away to AC Milan.

A versatile midfield operator, he won his first four senior caps for Italy last year, featuring home and away against England and Germany in the Nations League for Roberto Mancini’s side.

Frattesi earned his first Azzurri call-up at the end of an impressive maiden top-flight campaign, having cut his teeth during loan spells in Serie B with Ascoli, Empoli and Monza – the latter two of whom he helped to promotion.

Time for a new adventure?

Roma have also been linked with a swoop for Frattesi – who spent most of his formative years in the Giallorossi’s youth set-up, having started out with their arch-rivals Lazio.

But Man Utd ought to be in pole position to secure his services: aside from their superior financial power, they look nailed-on to qualify for next season’s Champions League – which can’t be said for Roma, and even less so for Juve.

Frattesi has never played in Europe and, with Sassuolo currently nine points off a continental berth, he’ll likely have to leave to get that opportunity – an opportunity his performances over the past couple of years strongly merit.