West Ham United are ready to rival Arsenal for Manuel Locatelli, with reports suggesting he may be unsettled at Juventus.
According to Il Bianconero, West Ham United are interested in signing Italian international Manuel Locatelli. Arsenal are the other club keen on landing the Juventus midfielder, who may be unsettled in Turin.
Manuel Locatelli remains a top name on the radars of clubs across Europe, as he continues to feature regularly with the Italian national side. Yet, many stories indicate he might be unsettled at Juventus, as Massimiliano Allegri does not consider him an automatic starter.
Despite playing regularly this season in a struggling campaign for Juventus, Locatelli is yet to cement a permanent place in Allegri’s plans. Naturally, the media is alert to the situation, and many stories have come out questioning his long-term future.
Arsenal have emerged as a possible destination. The Gunners had seriously chased the midfielder in the summer of 2021 but lost out to Juventus, with the Serie A giants being the midfielder’s preference.
Juventus acquired Locatelli on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy for a reported €40 million. The story claims the Bianconeri will not opt to sell Locatelli below his purchase price. He might end up costing more than €40 million in the current market.
Arsenal may have no qualms about paying up the requested amount. But in recent days, reports have claimed that Locatelli wants to remain at Juventus. Yet the links of a potential departure persist. Now, West Ham United have emerged as a potential suitor.
The Hammers continue looking for quality additions and showcased their ability to attract big names in the summer window. Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta arrived at the London Stadium for big money, and David Moyes is keen to see more players arrive.
Central midfield is an area where they might be short on quality. Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are capable players, but the former’s future remains in doubt beyond this season. West Ham might thus need new candidate as a replacement.
Moyes will hope to keep hold of Rice and add quality with a player like Locatelli. However, if clubs like Arsenal are interested in the Italian international, West Ham would be a difficult sell for the Juventus star.
Rumours and speculation regarding Locatelli’s future may continue until the winter. But it will be interesting to see whether Juventus are open to selling him in January. Clubs like Arsenal and West Ham would be ready to conclude a move with their chequebooks at the first possible hint.
