Should Arsenal chase Locatelli?
Manuel Locatelli. A player destined for the top of football. A player who’s had an excellent international tournament and will have many more in the future. Young with high potential and a decent price tag.
Definitely Arsenal should go for him, right? Hmmmmm….. It’s not that straightforward.
Even though I rate Locatelli very high, if he does not see Arsenal as an attractive club then I am afraid that makes me less attracted to him.
Why sign a player who does not see your club as a first choice? And who knows Arsenal are not even his second choice, as reports have emerged that the 23-year-old would rather stay at Sassuolo if Juventus don’t pay up for him this summer.
Manuel Locatelli will prefer to stay at Sassuolo than join Arsenal. It will either be Juve or Sassuolo for the player. [@DiMarzio – @SkySport]🔵
— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) July 17, 2021
Although showing an interest and making an offer is fine, it does not make sense if Arsenal has to “convince” someone to join the club. During the hard times of the club, the players who are not emotionally attached to club will have thoughts like “I should consider leaving this mess behind” rather than “I should work harder to get the club back to where it belongs.”
Arsenal should definitely try to sign him but if they have to convince him, persuading him that Arsenal indeed are a big club, then that’s very off-putting to me.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Thomas Partey, who played for clubs of much higher standing than Sassuolo, jumped at the chance when Arsenal contacted them. They saw something in Arsenal that made them want to make a move (apart from financial gains) to a club, who were not even playing in the Champions League.
Juventus are always leading the race for Locatelli – new meeting soon with Sassuolo, Manuel is still pushing to join Juve. 🇮🇹
Arsenal’s stance: they’d be prepared to pay Sassuolo price tag [€40m]… but #AFC only want to sign players happy and 100% convinced to join the club.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 18, 2021
Some might point out that Italian players prefer to stay in Italy rather than moving out. Only very few can be seen on the continent. Chelsea’s Jorginho and Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi (who has now returned to Roma) are the high-profile names that come to mind.
And that’s a whole another point. If that’s the case of him not moving to Arsenal, then I am completely fine with it. I also understand that him preferring to play for a club in his country, that has been at the top for countless years, is natural and does not exactly point out that he does not want to join Arsenal.
But my point is that if he does not find Arsenal as an appealing club then we should stay away from the midfielder and approach those who do want to play for the four-times Premier League and the 14 times FA Cup winners.
Yash Bisht
In my own opinion i think he is slow not cut for the Epl or he is another Torreira in waiting a time bomb to happen ; give me Bissouma premier League proven period or Teun Koopmeiners even Neves and their so many quality midfielders out there to partner Thomas partey .
Say what one will about the outlay or the necessity, and ignoring the farce that has been ongoing with William Saliba, this is a fantastic signing. It really is. Ben White premier League proven from Brighton.🤔
Give you Bissouma and have only Lokonga and some kids for 6 weeks during afcon. Think before you wish son.
What “farce” regarding Saliba?
How is it farcical to not want to risk playing a inexperienced 20yr old in the toughest league in the world??
Maybe had the world not been plunged into the worst pandemic since 1919, forcing the shutdown of all sports for a lengthy period of time, Saliba may have got the game time originally planned b4 he came back to the club and wouldn’t need another loan.
Unless of course you consider yourself a better judge of a players capabilities based on what you’ve seen on you tube rather than the Arsenal coaching staff and what they’ve seen on a day to day basis since he has returned to the club!!
Didn’t stop other teams, sounds like a tailor made excuse Brian. So based on the coaching staff’s immense experience, why did we sign Willian and keep playing him if they are such a great judge of player capabilities?
Remind me again how it worked out for Leicester and the highly inexperienced Fofana?
No-one is saying Saliba is the best player in the world, fans would just like him to be given a chance considering the fee paid and the performances he’s shown.
The pursuit of Locatelli might be a delay tactics by our board. They know fully well that the player’s mind is made up to play for Juve and yet they decide to waste time on him delaying the time that would have been used for other targets.
Like the article rightly put, why go for a player who has in numerous occasion told you his mind is not to play for your club? There are many midfielders who are currently available in the market including Aouar who we followed last season like he’ll. Now free for almost half his worth and yet we are not moving. Something isn’t right about these rumours.
It will be a dangerous game to wait for other clubs til the last week because other clubs are also expect to do us dirty like we did atleti last term with the partly deal. They could give us hope and crumble our hopes in the last minute. Then we will be left with the same players like Elneny in our midfield.
We need a defensive midfielder who can stand and protect the back 4 while Partey Can be allowed to go box to box. A tough tackler and a fast runner to improve our ball recovery. My best suit is still Bissouma but this afcon this is still putting me off.
Locatelli might be a very good CM/DM but i thing he’s bit what we need. He bumps forward very too often and will always allow our defence vulnerable, unless we are planning to revert to the 433 where we have Partey and him being the no.8s and then we will need a player like Lokonga playing in the no.6.
I think is a bit risky to play Lokonga in our first team but i do not think he will be just a back-up. He will be in the mix of the first team. I would love a midfield 3 of Aouar, Lokonga and Partey in the order I’ve placed them from leaf to right.
My advise is to move quickly for Aouar now and ignore the Madison deal if money will be a problem cos the clock is ticking. Aouar can help ESR or the Smith as he’s being called nowadays. Forget about this Locatelli nonsense please and let’s progress.
Agreed 100%.
Its is sad how far Arsenal have fallen from the days when we could sign Davor Suker after being the top scorer at a worldcup, we not even a top club anymore i dont blame Loatelli. Imagine Chelsea is bidding for Haaland, Arsenal cant even dream of talking to him, his agent probably blocked all calls from Arsenal. Kroenke’s destroyed our club and we should not be satisfied until this club is restored to its former glory
And now the idiotic claims that we should be competing financially with the financially doped chavs and city.
Every team has bad times. Arsenal needs to spend money to rebuild. If Locatelli isn’t interested arsenal need’s to move on.
👍
Torrera can partner Partey in midfield? Torrerra is still an arsenal player the last time I checked.
We should forget Locatelli. He does not want Arsenal.
Chambers White Gabriel Tierney
Partey Torrera
ESR
Pepe Aubameyang Saka
It is about time Arteta make do with the players at his disposal. If we can’t sell Torrera, then we play him.
Locatelli had a good game at the euros same way Torrera had in the world Cup.
What “farce” regarding Saliba?
How is it farcical to not want to risk playing a inexperienced 20yr old in the toughest league in the world??
Maybe had the world not been plunged into the worst pandemic since 1919, forcing the shutdown of all sports for a lengthy period of time, Saliba may have got the game time originally planned b4 he came back to the club and wouldn’t need another loan.
Unless of course you consider yourself a better judge of a players capabilities based on what you’ve seen on you tube rather than the Arsenal coaching staff and what they’ve seen on a day to day basis since he has returned to the club!!
Camavinga would be a better signing than him. We need mobility not static football that we saw last season.
I want to see arsenal playing with speed and some quick passes and with players taking on the opposition
Ben white is a very good signing, he is fast. He should partner Gabriel who is also first. We also need terrific wingers . Pepe and saka definitely. Isak as our striker will cement our speedy attacking football
Ska just signed a new deal with his club.
Isak I meant.
Agree, Saliba has been treated very very badly.
2nd that
A shambles the way this kid as been handled,disgusting actually .
yeah
juventus want 1-2 year loan with option must buy at the end of loan………
typical italian club….
Sassolo want money up front. All Italian clubs are financially stressed.
Arsenal appear to be sitting back, respecting Locatelli’s desire to go to Juventus and hoping that Sassolo will then reject Juventus’s loan to buy offer and sell to Arsenal. However as others have stated, Arsenal should not take the risk on an unhappy player, particularly one who has to move not only club, but league and country. There are other lower risk players available.
Arsenal wouldn’t be pushing as hard as they are if Locatelli weren’t interested.
Seems Arteta is focused on finding a more defensively solid and mobile upgrade of Xhaka, which would count Bissouma out as his passing stats pale in comparison to Xhaka’s.
Even though it’s a big risk as it would leave us without a second senior CM, I’d also agree with others that Camavinga would be the best investment of money. Fits the bill and has a sky high ceiling.
Thought Camavinga is joining man utd. I would love him too.
I still feel Nerves will give us thesame quality as Locatelli. Nerves wants to join us and understand the epl.
Alex, I have enough “nerves” over this coming season, so I would prefer Arsenal sign Ruben Neves or another available option! 😊
Wonder what purpose does this article serve other than to demean a player who doesn’t fancy donning our red and white for some reasons unbeknownst to us. Personally, I feel JA just disgraced themselves by posting their opinion.
Wow VasC, really!
Does that mean every time you have disagreed with anyone else that YOU have ‘disgraced yourself’?
The article is not even abusive to the player! Dan is smply saying “If he doesn’t want Arsenal, then we don’t want him”. How is it “demeaning”?
What a strange comment…..
“My personal favourite is Italy’s Manuel Locatelli” (sic)
Quoted from JA when the Euro kick started.
“we should stay away from the midfielder” (sic)
Quoted from JA now.
Wonder why?
Disagreeing with others is different from contradicting oneself.
Okay, if you want to pursue this, I will continue for your amusement.
A – https://www.justarsenal.com/as-many-as-six-arsenal-targets-in-contention-to-open-euro-2020-this-evening/284476 11th June by GoonerP
B – Today’s post – SIX WEEKS LATER after learning many times that Locatelli prefers Juventus – Written by Dan Smith
We have many writers on JA, and very rarely do they agree on anything! So, neither of them were contradicting “themselves”. But on top of that, surely you have seen many readers (maybe yourself included?) that also change their opinion after new information comes to light, I know I certainly do…
I’m not sure why you picking an argument, as your reply has nothing to do with your original complaint. I would just like to know why you think that Dan “disgraced himself” with his opinion post?
Can you explain that, please?
Ad Pat, are you suggesting that Dan is using Yash as a pseudonym?
“Disgraced themselves”? FOR SIMPLY HAVING A DIFFERENT OPINION FROM YOU? What arrant nonsense and arrogant, to boot, VasC!
A very childish comment, sonny boy!
“My personal favourite is Italy’s Manuel Locatelli” (sic)
Quoted from JA when the Euro kick started.
“we should stay away from the midfielder” (sic)
Quoted from JA now.
Wonder why?
Disagreeing with others is different from contradicting oneself.
Hi, VasC. Hope you are doing well.
That article was written by my colleague and it was his opinion, not mine.
It has nothing to do with the site contradicting itself.
Cheers mate
Hope I cleared the thing
Neves = Fab????
Not in this lifetime.
Hard pass, this guy is not going to make us better!
Locatelli has been quoted as saying in the recent past that he is open to moving abroad so I wouldn’t take this Di marzio guys word as Gospel,more interested in Fabrizio Romano updates. I would be very surprised if he chooses to stay at sassuolo over joining to us,we’re a massive step up to sassuolo
I have never believed we had a chance of signing Locatelli, not least because of his preference for Juve. By all means, keep monitoring the situation, but Locatelli was always an unachievable target.
If Locateli is not interested in Arsenal , leave him alone but if he is not interested, Arsenal will not bid for him certainly, We need to move fast with all the players we wish to sign on time because, if Artetar did not perform to our satisfaction this season, he will get the sack, but I pray he will be able to turn us back into a top 4 club in EPL. But the signs are gloomy. If he wants to succeed, let him sign Sterling ($50) from Man city, Grealish($70) from Aston Villa, and pull a coup for Kane ($130) from Tottenham. This will be starting point of our project rebuilding. Any thing short of this will still be a backward drive for the club. My little advice
If we sign Raheem Steeling, we will make top 3. That is the truth. 60m pounds on Sterlibg makes sense than 60m pounds on Maddisson.
Sterling – 50m
Grealish – 70m
Kane – 130m
Total = 250m
Just being clear you understood the math.
😀😀😀. @ Gogo. Raheem Sterling will do for now.
RB: Chambers and Cedric
LB: Tierney and Tavares
CB: White, Holding, Gabriel Mari
DM: Elneny, Torrera, AMN
CM: Partey, Willock, Lokonga
AM: ESR, AOUAR
RF: Saka, Pepe
LF: Sterling, Martinelli
Central Forward: Aubameyang, Balogun
Sell Lacazette,Willian, Kolasinac, Bellerin and Xhaka.
Loan out Reiss Nelson and Nketiah.
So, we have just two more signings: Aouar(30m pounds) and Sterling(55m pounds)
And meanwhile, back on Planet EARTH! HOW IMMATURE FANTASISTS ARE!
these italian journalists are pure liars.
Arsenal would have asked locatelli camp to see if they are interested before offering money.
so either player is not interested and Arsenal HAVEN’T offered money or Arsenal has offered money and the player is interested.
Either way these italian journalists are liars.
I thought so too. Remember arsenal denying the first statement made by the Sassuolo president. The Italian journalist are using arsenal to market their player and make sure he gets his dream move. No offer was made.
That’s not to say that there was no money available. Bids are made after concrete inside information from the club and the players agent. What I think is that arsenal will only move for a Xhaka replacement only after the player moves. Locatelli was never coming anyways.