Serie A side Sassuolo will not allow Manuel Locatelli to leave during the January transfer window, despite Manchester City and Juventus being strong admirers of the Italian midfielder.
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Locatelli, 23, has emerged as one of Italy’s most consistent performers this season and is widely regarded as one of the best in the Serie A.
Since joining Sassuolo from domestic rivals AC Milan in 2019 in a deal worth just £11.25m, Locatelli has featured in 81 matches in all competitions and has been directly involved in 14 goals; a decent return considering how deep he operates.
In light of the 23-year-old’s impressive form, it was recently claimed by the Daily Mail that Pep Guardiola is ‘keeping tabs’ on the commanding Italian midfielder.
It has been reported that although Manchester City have expressed the most interest in signing Locatelli, the Citizens could well face competition from Juventus and Locatelli’s former club AC Milan.
However, despite their star-man being valued at around £30m, Sassuolo’s sporting director Giovanni Carnevali has ruled out a January departure.
When questioned about the interest Locatelli is attracting, Carnevali told RAI Sport, as per Football Italia: “Seeing Sassuolo players in the headlines is a positive thing, as it means our team and players have been doing well to attract attention.
“We have many players who are of interest to many, including Locatelli, but any issue will be only discussed after January.
“When it comes to important players like Locatelli, we won’t even take into consideration any proposal that would involve him leaving mid-season.”