Manuel Locatelli turned down serious interest from Arsenal to join Juventus in the summer of 2021, following his impressive performances at Euro 2020.

Prior to the tournament, he had already attracted the attention of top European clubs due to his mature displays for Sassuolo.

Juventus was among those interested, eager to see how he would perform on the international stage.

Locatelli excelled as Italy won the competition, which further piqued Arsenal’s interest, prompting the Premier League club to make a strong push to include him in their squad.

They were prepared to offer him a better salary and a larger transfer fee for his signature immediately.

However, Locatelli is a lifelong Juventus fan, hailing from a family that has always supported the Old Lady.

For him, choosing Juventus over Arsenal was a no-brainer. Yet, since his move to the club, there have been suggestions that his personal development may have stalled, leading some to speculate that he might have been better off joining Arsenal.

Asked if he regrets turning down the Gunners. He told Tuttosport:

“No. But I love watching football, and I like watching their games and I respect their coach, Arteta.” 

Juve FC Says

Locatelli looks very proud of his decision to join us, and he has been in much better form this season, which is great.