After months of speculations, Manuel Locatelli’s transfer to Juventus appears to be much more complicated than initially thought.
The Italian international is the club’s priority signing, but the management is yet to reach an agreement with Sassuolo.
The Neroverdi have been unwilling to lower their valuation for the player – which is set at 40 million euros – nor accept other players as a part of an exchange.
Nonetheless, some positive news has emerged in relation to this saga, with one of the many knots potentially being resolved.
According to Tuttosport via Calciomercato, Sassuolo have found a ready-made replacement for their midfield star, in the form of Sandi Lovric.
The Emilians’ potential next midfielder is a 23-year-old Slovenian who currently plays in the Swiss league with Lugano.
Lovric is mostly deployed as an attacking midfielder, but can also cover in a more central role if needed. He spent most of his career thus far in Austria – with the likes of Lienz and Sturm Graz – but eventually moved to Switzerland as a free agent in 2019.
Juventus fans will be hoping that this news turns out to be true, which would boost Locatelli’s chances in leaving the Mapei Stadium this summer.
However, the Bianconeri are not the only team interested in the player, as Arsenal are also hoping to seal a deal for the Euro 2020 winner.
