Real Madrid will reportedly have to shell out €35 million to sign Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo, with the club contemplating selling Dani Ceballos to generate the funds.
According to a report from Spanish publication Defensa Central, Real Madrid have learned the amount that it will cost them to sign Italian international midfielder Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo in the upcoming transfer window.
Locatelli, a product of the AC Milan youth setup, has grown leaps and bounds since signing for Sassuolo in 2018. The midfielder has since grown into one of the most reliable players in his position in Serie A and has racked up 99 appearances for the Neroverdi, bagging seven goals and setting up eleven more. A regular for the Italian national team as well, the 23-year-old has ten international caps to his name.
Heading into the summer transfer window, Locatelli is a man in demand as several big clubs across Europe are pursuing his signing. Real Madrid, too, are among the teams in the hunt for the Italian’s signing, with newly-appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti the man driving their interest in the 23-year-old central midfielder.
A move for Locatelli makes a lot of sense as well for Real Madrid, given that they do not have any cover for star enforcer Casemiro in the middle of the park. In addition to that, Luka Modric is, at 35, in the final phase of his career, while Toni Kroos is also into his thirties and will need to be managed carefully going forward.
Signing someone like Locatelli, who can provide backup in the defensive midfield role to Casemiro or even form a potential double pivot with the Brazilian, before eventually replacing him in the years to come, would, thus, be a smart move on Real Madrid’s part. And, they have now learned that it will cost them around €35 million to sign the former AC Milan starlet from Sassuolo.
In order to fund the move, Ancelotti & co. are now seriously contemplating the possibility of selling Dani Ceballos. The Spaniard, who is back at Real Madrid after an underwhelming loan spell with Arsenal, seemingly isn’t a major part of the plans under the new manager. The former Real Betis star has attracted interest from local rivals Atletico Madrid among other clubs, and Los Blancos are hoping to make at least €25-€30 million from his sale.
It now remains to be seen if Real Madrid are able to complete the double deal in the coming weeks that would see Ceballos make his way out of the club on a permanent basis, creating room and funds for the club to bring Locatelli in from Sassuolo.
