West Ham United are interested in having the 25-year-old Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli in their ranks.
According to a report by Calciomercato, West Ham United are keen on signing Manuel Locatelli. The 25-year-old midfielder has been doing wonders for Juventus of late, and he has attracted a lot of attention from England in particular. It could take around €40 million to prise him away from the Allianz Stadium.
Locatelli came through the ranks at AC Milan before joining Sassuolo in search of regular first-team football. After proving himself in the Italian top flight while playing for Sassuolo, he joined Juventus in the summer of 2021. It was an initial two-year loan which was made permanent last summer.
Things have not been that smooth for the 25-year-old since making the move to Turin. A lot has been going on in the background at the club, and that has not helped him settle in. On top of that, he was not really able to adjust to the style of Massimiliano Allegri in the initial phase.
But, things have improved of late and he has become a regular feature under Allegri. And, with Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli no longer available, Locatelli’s importance has increased significantly. Pogba has tested positive for doping while Fagioli has been banned because of betting breaches.
While Locatelli is a very important part of the Juventus first-team and has a contract with them that runs until the summer of 2026, he could still be on the move in the near future given the amount of interest in him from England.
West Ham United are one of the clubs keen on having him in their ranks. David Moyes is always on the lookout for options to improve his squad, and he feels the Italian international could be a great fit for the club.
The Hammers sold Declan Rice in the summer, and there are high chances that Tomas Soucek could leave next summer with his contract expiring. As a result, West Ham are keen on having Locatelli in their ranks. The 25-year-old is currently valued at €40 million, and the Hammers can surely afford to pay that kind of a fee for the Italian international.
