Fabio Paratici makes contact to sign Manuel Locatelli at Tottenham
According to Italian journalist Marcello Chirico of 7 Gold Sport, Tottenham Hotspur’s newly-appointed director Fabio Paratici is already pushing to sign Sassuolo’s Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli this summer.
Locatelli came through the youth ranks at AC Milan but it was at Sassuolo that has blossomed into a star. The midfielder signed for the Neroverdi in 2018, initially on loan, before making the transfer permanent a year later. Since then, he has grown into a mainstay in the side while also establishing a foothold in the Italian national team.
In fact, Locatelli has emerged as one of the top performers for Italy in the ongoing UEFA Euro 2020, impressing in their first two games against Turkey and Switzerland. This has put him on the radars of several top clubs including the likes of Juventus and Tottenham, claims Chirico.
Tottenham’s interest in Locatelli is primarily being driven by sporting director Fabio Paratici, who was appointed in his new role earlier this month. Prior to this, he was in charge at Juventus where he wanted to sign the midfielder for two years but wasn’t able to.
Now, he is again seeking to land the former AC Milan academy man. To that end, Paratici has already made contact with Sassuolo’s CEO Giovanni Carnevali, who happens to be a good friend of his, the journalist reports. However, Locatelli is said to prefer a transfer to Juventus.
The 23-year-old has shown great quality over the past twelve months or so. Considering his age, he should get better with more experience and exposure at the highest level.
Attenzione a #Paratici: per 2 anni alla #Juventus ha provato ad acquistare #Locatelli (suo pallino),ora ha già contattato l'amico Carnevali per cercare di portarlo al @SpursOfficial.
Il giocatore dà precedenza alla #Juve, #Cherubini deve però chiudere in fretta col #Sassuolo.— Marcello Chirico (@MarcelloChirico) June 18, 2021
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With Moussa Sissoko not getting any younger and Harry Winks seeing his role reduced, someone like Locatelli can be a fine signing for Tottenham. The 23-year-old, given his ability to play as a No. 6 or a box-to-box midfielder would add more flexibility to the side as well. It will be interesting to see whether Paratici is successful in his attempt to land the Italian.
