Barcelona Join Race To Sign Manuel Locatelli

Barcelona are reportedly one of the clubs that are interested in signing 23-year-old Italian international Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo.

The 23-year-old Italian international Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo has currently been in the hearts of the Catalans.

According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Locatelli transfer is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old Italian international is also being tailed by Manchester City, Juventus and Inter Milan.

Manuel Locatelli burst onto the scene when he broke into the first-team setup at AC Milan in 2016, aged just 18. However, it is at Sassuolo where he made his breakthrough in Italian football, having first impressed while on loan in the 2018/19 season before joining them permanently in the summer of 2019.

Manuel has turned 95 times for the Serie A while also becoming a regular fixture in the Italian national side since making his debut in 2020. His progress has alerted a number of top clubs across Europe, with Barcelona the latest entrants in the race to sign him.

The Catalans are laying down the succession plan for Sergio Busquets, who despite enjoying a solid 2020/21 campaign, is slowly but surely approaching the final stage of his career. With Miralem Pjanic failing to make an impression in the ongoing campaign while also being on the wrong side of 30, it is prudent for the club to keep its options open.

Moreover, Pjanic faces an uncertain future at Camp Nou, having reportedly been linked with Athletico Madrid and Manchester United. As a result, it makes sense for Barcelona to consider a move for a holding midfielder, with Locatelli being a viable target for them.