Arsenal reportedly remain interested in signing Manuel Locatelli having failed to secure his signature previously. The midfielder is struggling for minutes at Juventus this season, with manager Massimiliano Allegri admitting that he is the preferred option off of the bench.
Mikel Arteta was expected to add depth to his midfield over his summer but only welcomed the arrival of Fabio Vieira in that department. Thus, Albert Sambi Lokonga remains the only defensive-minded cover in the centre of the park, with Oleksandr Zinchenko being deployed in left-back.
Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans was expected to be targeted, whilst a late surge for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz proved unsuccessful. Arteta, therefore, appears to be willing to reignite his interest in a former target, according to Calcio Mercato, via Football Italia.
The Gunners have not ‘forgotten’ about Locatelli and are planning to pursue the playmaker in the coming two transfer windows. The 24-year-old could be available for a cut-price fee given that he has quickly become surplus to requirements at the Allianz Arena.
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Juve has struggled so far this season, winning two of their opening seven matches of the campaign and thus putting Allegri under immense pressure despite welcoming numerous new signings to his ranks. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba returned to the Serie A outfit over the summer, with Angel di Maria joining him at the club on a free transfer too.
Speaking about the poor start to the campaign, Allegri told Il Corriere dello Sport: “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.
“Di Maria and Chiesa on the wings, Vlahovic in the middle. The Juve of now is virtual. I know we lack someone who can invent in the last thirty metres, but we signed Pogba and Di Maria for this. And we are developing Miretti, the most suitable in that role among those there.”
Hearing that Locatelli is no longer seen as a regular for Juve, having started regularly last season, will certainly be a blow to the Italy international and could open the door for Arteta to greenlight a move. The Gunners have made a great start to the season and if they can keep up their good form then the higher powers in north London may be keen to invest in the squad as early as January.
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