Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli should sign for Manchester City, according to his former academy manager Walter De Vecchi.
Locatelli came through the ranks at AC Milan, where he was coached by De Vecchi, and the 68-year-old claims that the 26-cap Italian international would be best off joining Pep Guardiola‘s side if he wants to continue his development:
“He is becoming an increasingly important player, also for the national team. In addition to possession and set-up, he is also good at recovering the ball and assisting a partner in difficulty.”
“Those who criticise Locatelli understand nothing about football. In a team that imposes its game, he would be a kind of Paulo Roberto Falcao. My dream would be to see him in a team like Manchester City: we would see a stellar Locatelli.”
Locatelli has been linked with a move to the Premier League before
Prior to joining Juve in the summer of 2021, Arsenal were also trying to secure the player’s signature. Locatelli’s brother has subsequently revealed that the player turned down an approach from the Gunners to remain in Italy:
“I still remember the negotiation (that took him to Juventus). For him, it was very long. There was also Arsenal, but he wanted Juventus.”
City are likely to be in the market for a midfielder
With Kalvin Phillips having expressed an interest in leaving the Etihad Stadium due to a lack of game time, it’s expected that the Premier League champions will look to strengthen their options in the middle of the park.
Whether they will pursue Locatelli, though, it is debatable. The 25-year-old has been in good form this season, but there are question marks over whether he is capable of playing for the likes of City. Guardiola demands a lot from his midfielders, demonstrated by Phillips’ inability to nail down a place in the starting lineup.
