Shakhtar Donetsk coach Roberto De Zerbi has explained that Manuel Locatelli has the right confidence to make it at Juventus while also discussing his path to a big-money move to the Bianconeri.
Locatelli had started his senior career at AC Milan before forcing a move to Sassuolo, where he developed his game further under De Zerbi’s watch.
He was initially supposed to move to the Green and Blacks on loan, but forced Milan to include an obligation to buy in the deal.
De Zerbi played an important role in his development and concedes that he isn’t sure if the midfielder would have made this much progress if he had returned to Milan from a loan stint at Sassuolo.
He then says at the Green and Blacks, Locatelli realised it was a necessary step back that helped him make a giant step forward.
He said to radio show Tutti Convocati as quoted by Football Italia: “I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to think about football. In moving to Juventus, Locatelli realised what it means to be at a big club and feel that kind of pressure. I had no doubts he’d make his mark, as he has the healthy arrogance of someone at his level and the Euros really helped his confidence.
“I don’t know if he would’ve had the same career path if he’d gone back to Milan from his loan, because at Sassuolo he realised it was a step backwards for his own good. Sometimes, a step back can then allow you to make two or three steps forward.”
Locatelli has now been reunited with Max Allegri who called him up to the AC Milan first-team training when he was 15 in 2013.
