Juventus are attempting to sign Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo. However, if an agreement couldn’t be reached with either the club or the player, the Bianconeri will turn their attention to AS Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni.
After a two-year sabbatical, during which Juventus lost their status as the champions of Italy, Massimiliano Allegri is back as the manager of the Bianconeri. The Italian took over the post from Andrea Pirlo, under whom Juve lost their first title race in almost a decade. With Allegri back at the helm, however, the rebuild begins. First on the agenda is a midfielder and rumours suggest that that midfielder will most likely be Manuel Locatelli.
The midfielder came through the ranks at AC Milan before leaving his boyhood club to sign for Sassuolo, where he subsequently grew into a well-rounded midfielder and was rewarded for his performances by Italy coach Roberto Mancini with a place in the national squad for the 2020 Euro. Locatelli impressed at the Euros and has since been linked with moves to Arsenal and Juventus.
Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Locatelli remains Juventus’ priority in the summer window, but the Bianconeri have shortlisted alternatives in case a transfer couldn’t materialize. One of the alternatives is Miralem Pjanic, whom Allegri used at the base of his midfield for several years during his first spell. The Bosnian left Turin to sign for Barcelona in a dubious swap deal with Arthur but has found game time hard to come by in Spain.
Apart from Pjanic, Juventus are also keen on AS Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni and see the Frenchman as an alternative to Locatelli. Tchouameni enjoyed breakthrough success in France as Monaco finished third in the league and qualified for the Champions League qualifiers. The midfielder has since been linked with a move to Chelsea.
A box-to-box midfielder, Tchouameni made his Champions League bow recently and scored in a crucial 2-0 away win over Sparta Prague. The 21-year-old is closing in on 50 appearances for Monaco and is expected to attract plenty of interest in the near future.
