Arsenal plotting £21.8m January move for Serie A midfielder

Arsenal could reportedly reignite their interest in Serie A giants, Juventus playmaker Manuel Locatelli in 2023 after failing to add to their engine room in the summer.

Locatelli is still technically on loan at the Bianconeri from Serie A outfits Sassuolo, who were inundated with offers for the Italy international at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The 24-year-old was understood to have been the subject of interest from the Gunners among other Premier League teams, however, he ultimately arrived in Turin on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy.

As things stand, the Old Lady will fork out a total of €25m (£21.8m) next summer, providing that Locatelli hits various performance-related objectives to trigger the clause to make his stay permanent.

The ex-AC Milan starlet immediately became a regular in the first XI under Massimiliano Allegri, who has supposedly been left less than impressed with his contribution so far.

According to Calciomercato, Allegri would not be averse to Locatelli making a swift departure from the team next summer after making it clear that the playmaker would drop to the bench if he was blessed with a fully-fit team.

Allegri is believed to have been left disappointed with Locatelli’s inability to “make a difference” in games so far, and Juve will entertain offers if his form does not improve drastically in the coming months.

The report adds that the Gunners could therefore try again for Locatelli after failing to prise him away from his homeland in 2021, with Mikel Arteta keen on bringing a new midfielder to the club.

Locatelli – who stays under contract at Sassuolo until 2024 for the time being – has three goals and five assists under his belt from 49 appearences in a Juventus shirt and started 23 Serie A games last term.