Arsenal scouted Manuel Locatelli in 2016 as Euro 2020 sensation was AC Milan’s new Andrea Pirlo before Chelsea reject Tiemoue Bakayoko ousted him

Arsenal are set to rival Juventus for the signing of Manuel Locatelli, the Italy midfielder taking Euro 2020 by storm.

The Gunners have made an official bid for the 23-year-old, according to his Sassuolo chief Giovanni Carnevali.

He told Sky Sports: “They’re pushing hard to sign Manuel and it’s an important bid… we will see. Also Juventus want Locatelli and we’ve a special relationship with them. We’ve a new meeting scheduled with Juve.”

Locatelli caught everyone’s attention with two goals against Switzerland, but Arsenal have been aware of the Sassuolo star for years.

Former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger sent chief scout Neil Banfield to run the rule over an Locatelli back in 2016, when the player was 18 and already earmarked as a future AC Milan captain.

Having joined Milan from Atalanta’s academy aged 11, Locatelli was considered one of Italy’s brightest young stars, before the movements of a Chelsea reject forced him to change course and join Sassuolo…

talkSPORT’s European football journalist Andy Brassell said: “He started out at the fantastic Atalanta academy when he was a kid, he was at Milan by the time he was 11 – and everyone assumed this was a love affair which would last forever.

“He made his Serie A debut aged 18, in his first full season he scored the winner against Sassuolo, shortly after that he scored a winner against Juventus.

“The reason he looked as if he was going to be a superstar was not just his poise on the ball, not just his elegance, but the fact he fitted into that Andrea Pirlo role, just in front of the defence as a deep-lying playmaker.

“But it started to fall off at Milan as they made bad investments. By 2018, Milan brought in Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan as one of their signings that summer and Locatelli’s nose gets put out of joint.

“He thought he wouldn’t play as much and asked for a move. What was initially considered a loan move to Sassuolo became a loan with an obligation to buy.

“Fortunately for Locatelli and Sassuolo, he took his opportunity with both hands.

“He widened his pallet, played a number of positions in midfield, and that’s what caught [Italy head coach Roberto] Mancini’s eye.

“When Marco Verratti was injured at the start of this tournament, that was the break Locatelli needed.

“The sense is that, at 23-years old, it’s time for Locatelli to take the next step up in what promises to be a fantastic career.”

While Italy teammate Giorgio Chiellini will hope Locatelli joins him at Juventus, the 36-year-old recently admitted he regrets turning down an offer from Arsenal back when he was 16.

In a recent interview with French magazine So Foot, Chiellini said: “In hindsight, I was a fool to decline that offer. I was 16, I played in Serie C, I got a huge offer.

“I didn’t feel ready. If I had accepted, it would have given the impression of betraying Livorno.”