Arsenal are reportedly interested in Italian international Manuel Locatelli, according to a report in the Mirror.

The Sassuolo midfielder has two years left on his current deal, and that has raised the ears of interested suitors.

The 23-year-old is currently representing Italy in the European Championships. Thus, any interested club would have to wait until the end of the tournament to land his signature.

With Granit Xhaka looking likely to leave the Emirates Stadium for Italian side Roma, the Gunners are naturally looking for replacements.

The North London outfit continue to be linked to several names in the midfield position, with Yves Bissouma, Sambi Lokonga and Ruben Neves being the most talked about recently.

But according to reports, they are now believed to be also tracking Locatelli at the Euros, who had an excellent season at the Mapei Stadium.

Manuel Locatelli during the 2020/21 Serie A season:

◉ Most touches
◉ Most passes
◉ Most passes into the final ⅓
◎ 2nd-most passes into opp half
◎ 2nd-most tackles made

Just another Italian midfield maestro. #ITA

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 11, 2021

However, their plans to land the coveted midfielder can be scuppered early on, with European heavyweights Manchester City, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain all having thrown their hats in the ring.

The young midfielder has made 34 league appearances for Sassuolo, scoring four goals, and assisting three. He was previously at AC Milan, where he made 63 appearances. He is valued at €35 million by the German site, Transfermarkt.

Also Read : 

• Arsenal Reject Third Bid for Xhaka With AS Roma Unwilling to Increase Their Offer For Now
• If Arsenal Are Looking for a New CBs, What Happens to Saliba And Mavropanos?
• Is Donny Van De Beek The Answer to Arsenal’s Midfield Void

In my opinion Locatelli can be an exceptional signing for Arsenal. The Italian is a good tackler and an excellent dribbler.

He also has an eye for a goal. Given his age of 23 years, his ceiling for improvement is pretty high and at an expected outlay of €40m, represents a real value for money deal.

But it will be hard for Arsenal to land a player like Locatelli due to no European football next season. Yves Bissouma of Brighton and Hove Albion might be a more realistic option in the same price range.

With reports suggesting that he is an Arsenal fan, it is believed that personal terms won’t be much of an issue.

As always, follow AD for latest Arsenal transfer news and updates.