West Ham are ready to pounce on Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, according to a report from Tutto Juve.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move to the London Stadium, with Calciomercato.it reporting this week that the Hammers have identified the Juve midfielder as a potential replacement for Tomas Soucek.
We now have a fresh update from Tutto Juve who claim that the Hammers are ready to make an offer for Locatelli in the region of £35m. He is a key player for the Old Lady, having made nine starts in the Serie A already, and the club are reluctant to sell him.
Curious case of Soucek
The Czech Republic midfielder has been a key player under David Moyes but the club hasn’t been able to strike a new deal with him.
He has a contract at the London club until 2024 with the Hammers having the option to extend his deal for another year. There are suggestions that West Ham could sell him next summer, and if that happens, they are likely to move for Locatelli.
The 20-cap Italy international is a class central midfielder who has managed one goal and an assist this season so far in the Serie A.
He has previously played for AC Milan and Sassuolo and is not too keen to leave Italy at this moment. Known for his excellent passing abilities, Locatelli is also good at making defensive contributions, which should excite Moyes.
He averages 1.7 tackles per game, as per whoscored.com, and makes around 1.9 clearances. He has the ability to shine in the Premier League but convincing him to move to England would be a real challenge.
