Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign Manuel Locatelli, who is valued at around €40 million.
According to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, the race to sign Manuel Locatelli is starting to heat up. Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to have shown an interest in the Italian international, who is also a target for Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Manuel Locatelli has become one of the hottest properties in the transfer market three years after arriving at Sassuolo. Having initially joined the Neroverdi on loan in 2018, the 23-year-old made such a positive impression that he was signed permanently in the summer of 2019; and he has not looked back since then.
To date, Locatelli has turned out 99 times for Sassuolo, chipping in with 7 goals and 11 assists as well. His progress has not only helped him establish himself as one of the best young midfielders in Serie A but also become a full-fledged Italian international. At the same time, numerous big name clubs have been showing an interest in him as well, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
The interest from Arsenal is hardly surprising, considering Granit Xhaka is being heavily linked with a move to AS Roma. With Dani Ceballos returning to Real Madrid, the Gunners are in urgent need of signing a central midfielder, seeing as Thomas Partey is the only other regular remaining at Mikel Arteta’s disposal.
As for Chelsea, their interest in Locatelli is somewhat baffling, considering N’Golo Kante is going strong at the club while Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho are viewed as key players under Thomas Tuchel. Add Billy Gilmour to the mix, and the Blues have a solid midfield unit. However, if Gilmour is loaned out, Chelsea might need to sign a replacement, making Locatelli a viable target.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are the latest entrants in the race to sign the Italian international, and for good reason. Spurs are in a period of transition as they look set to begin life under a new manager. Therefore, the time is ideal to part ways with the ageing Moussa Sissoko and sign a younger replacement, making 23-year-old Locatelli an option worth considering.
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Apart from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, Juventus and Real Madrid are also tailing Locatelli, who is valued at around €40 million by Sassuolo. With the race to sign the young midfielder gathering pace, Tottenham and Arsenal could well be left behind, considering they cannot offer Champions League football.
Having said that, it remains to be seen if any of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham can manage the €40 million valuation in the first place before talks of personal terms can even begin. For now, Spurs are the latest club to have joined the race to sign the Italian international.
