Locatelli to Arsenal: Allegri quotes show Euro 2020 winner could be sold
Robin Bairner
- 19 Sept 2022 10:47 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal have been linked with a renewed bid for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli – and if things stay the same at the Serie A side, the Gunners have every chance of landing the player.
Calciomercato states that the Premier League leaders are ready to revisit their interest in the 24-year-old, who is valued at €42 million by FootballTransfers, although quite when they might place a bid is unclear.
Certainly, Arsenal would be advised to move quickly on Locatelli if they want to get a deal done.
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Allegri under pressure
A deal may hinge on whether Max Allegri is still at Juventus, although it is looking doubtful that he will last until the January transfer window. A 1-0 defeat to Monza in Serie A on Sunday sees Juve in eighth in the standings, well below their expected level. Consequently, Allegri finds himself under significant pressure.
One of the reasons that he is such a controversial figure at Juventus presently is his team selection. Indeed, he has admitted that Locatelli has only been playing this season because of injuries in the squad, including one to fellow midfielder Paul Pogba, who finds himself at the centre of an extorsion controversy.
Speaking on Saturday, Allegri said: “I’m very sorry for this situation and I often ask myself if I have made mistakes. The first answer that comes to mind is that Juve had been thought of in another way. With Rabiot-Paredes-Pogba in midfield plus Locatelli as the first substitute.”
The decision to place Locatelli as “first substitute” is a highly disputed one. Adrien Rabiot, for example, continues to frustrate with his laidback manner, while it is not yet clear whether the good or bad Pogba will show at Juventus when finally fit. Meanwhile, Paredes has continued his mediocre PSG form in his first weeks since arriving in Turin.
There is an argument that Locatelli should be the first midfield pick for Allegri, and yet his insistence that he is fourth in the pecking order rings alarm bells. These are attracting Arsenal, and if they really want the Italy midfielder, now is the time they must strike.
