Arsenal enter Manuel Locatelli transfer race

Arsenal, perhaps guided by recent developments, are making moves to improve their squad in the coming summer transfer window with their hat thrown in the ring for Manuel Locatelli.

Watching Mohamed Elneny come into the team in Thomas Partey’s stead only heightened what was already plainly visible within the squad: the depth is woefully lacking.

The drop off when certain members of the squad are absent is a signal for how weak this Arsenal team is. Rotation is essential, especially in a COVID-19 impacted and congested season, however, once Arsenal make changes in key areas the performance invariably suffer.

In midfield is where this issue is very relevant. Partey and Granit Xhaka are the undisputed starting pairing and behind them is Elneny, who for all his lovable characteristics and occasional screamers, is simply not up to the standard required.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1382608273459851267

Arsenal enter Manuel Locatelli transfer race ahead of summer window with Manchester City and Juventus keen

There is also Dani Ceballos, who has performed well in recent matches, but his wildly inconsistent form and infuriating tendencies on the ball make him a wildcard option. Joe Willock is out on loan at present and not expected to be brought back into the first team fold, while Ceballos is also a long-shot permanent signing at £25m, with midfield in desperate need of reinforcing.

One player that has courted attention across Europe is Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli, who Il Resto del Carlino have Arsenal down as interested. Furthermore, it’s stated that it would be ‘easy’ for Locatelli to leave in the summer, with the Italian expressing a desire to join a top club, whether that be in Italy or abroad.

Adept at picking the ball up on the half-turn, the 23-year-old is a visionary in every sense. Operating on the left side of a midfield duo in a 4-2-3-1 setup, he has the platform to dictate the tempo and utilise his outstanding long-ball accuracy to play piercing diagonals.

His weight of pass is sumptuous and no player has made more passes into the final third than in this season’s Serie A than Locatelli. A exceptional deep-lying playmaker who is firmly in the Italian national side first team.

There is interest from Juventus and Manchester City, understandable given the midfielder’s outstanding form. A fee in the region of £34m is said to be enough. Peanuts for a side in the European Super League.