West Ham United will happily fork out €40 million to sign Italian international midfielder Manuel Locatelli from Juventus.
According to a report by Italian outlet Tutto Juve, Manuel Locatelli is the subject of interest from West Ham United. The Hammers are seemingly one of the front-runners to land the Italian international midfielder. And they are ready to cough up €40 million to prise him away from Juventus.
Manuel Locatelli has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A in the last few years. The 25-year-old rose to prominence after joining Sassuolo from AC Milan. The Neroverdi initially landed him on a season-long loan deal in August 2018 before completing a permanent transfer a year later.
Locatelli’s progress at Sassuolo earned him the attention of some of the most high-profile clubs in Europe before Juventus snapped him up in August 2021. The Bianconeri had him on loan for two seasons before completing a permanent deal this past summer. The Italian international midfielder has turned out over 100 times for Juventus, chipping in with four goals and eight assists.
Meanwhile, the player was a pivotal figure for the Azzurri when they won the UEFA Euro 2020 title. But Locatelli’s Juventus future is uncertain amid the club’s poor financial situation. Such a situation has captured the attention of several well-known clubs, with West Ham United among his prospective suitors.
West Ham’s interest in Locatelli is surprising, considering they heavily bolstered their midfield unit in the summer transfer window. Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse arrived at the London Stadium, adding to a department that already contained Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek. But Paqueta’s uncertain future might be the root cause of West Ham’s eagerness to sign Locatelli.
Manchester City and Newcastle United are reportedly keen on signing Paqueta, while West Ham will look to hand him a new contract. Meanwhile, a betting ban might also be on the cards for the Brazilian international. Locatelli is thus a viable target for the East London club. And the Hammers are ready to fork out €40 million to land the Italian international midfielder.
€40 million might be enough to prise the 25-year-old away from Juventus. But Locatelli’s stance will be crucial, and it will be interesting to see if West Ham can convince him to part ways with the Bianconeri when they submit a bid.
