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Arsenal are growing in confidence that a deal for Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli could be stuck this summer even after he has set his heart on a move to Juventus.
Manuel Locatelli, 23, has played a major role behind Italy’s progress to Euro 2020 final, where Roberto Mancini’s team will play England at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The midfielder did bag a brace in the group stages, and despite drifting in and out of the Mancini’s team, he has enhanced his reputation as one of the stars of Euro 2020.
While Juventus are front-runners for the Italian international’s signature, apparently there is still hope for Arsenal. The Old Lady are expected to try their hand at striking a deal with Sassuolo, although they are financially hit following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Arsenal remain in the mix for the Sassuolo midfielder, with Mikel Arteta’s side believed to be waiting on Juventus’ next move before making an official bid.
Arsenal sign Nuno Tavares; close to agreeing on a deal with Albert Sambi Lokonga
The Gunners have confirmed the signing of Nuno Tavares from Benfica, becoming the north London club’s first summer signing.
Tavares, 21, made 30 appearances for Benfica before agreeing to join Arteta’s side. He has been signed as an understudy to Scotland’s left-back Kieran Tierney, who had an injury-ravaged 2020/21 campaign at the Emirates Stadium.
Also, Arsenal are close to agreeing on a deal with Belgian club Anderlecht to sign Albert Sambi Lokonga. In the last two seasons, the 21-year-old midfielder made 50 first-team appearances in the Jupiler League. He became a firm favourite of Anderlecht manager Vincent Kompany but has now decided to leave Belgium for Premier League football.
What other business the Gunners have done?
It is turning out to be a busy summer transfer window for the north London outfit as Mikel Arteta attempts to turn around the club’s fortunes after missing out on European qualification.
Arsenal have allowed midfielder Matteo Guendouzi to join Ligue 1 club Marseille on a season-long loan, with an obligation to buy next summer. Defender William Saliba is set to follow Guendouzi to Marseille, heading out on loan to France for the second season running.
Greek Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has also been farmed out on loan to VFB Stuttgart, with Arsenal pursuing Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Ben White this summer.
Arsenal have already lost two midfielders in Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard earlier this summer and are now preparing to sell Granit Xhaka to AS Roma. Xhaka’s potential departure will further leave a huge void to be filled at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal working on the transfer of Manuel Locatelli
After adding Albert Sambi Lokonga to his midfield ranks, Arteta is working hard to sign Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo.
Locatelli has replicated his fine form in Serie A with Italy at Euro 2020. A fantastic passer of the ball with decent tackling skills, the 23-year-old can handle the hustle and bustle of Premier League football. The Italian international also has a knack for arriving late in the box to score goals.
Due to his ability to dictate the tempo of the game, the former AC Milan man could complement the tough-tackling Thomas Partey in the Arsenal engine room. If Arsenal could somehow manage to get a deal done for Locatelli, it would represent a statement signing from Arteta’s club.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
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