In a recent report, Tutto Juve mentioned that West Ham United are showing interest in Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli. It is believed that the Hammers are eyeing an ambitious move to acquire the services of the Italy international next year.
Locatelli’s Impressive Form In Serie A This Season
Locatelli is having a decent campaign at the Turin club after putting in a series of eye-catching displays in the final third. The 25-year-old has scored one goal and grabbed one assist in nine matches for Juventus this season across all fronts.
The Italian talent has been a positive influence at both ends of the pitch and deserves credit for averaging 1.7 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.9 clearances, 0.9 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has even been careful when distributing possession from midfield after making 85.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
His current deal at the Italian club will run out in the summer of 2026. Hence, it won’t be easy for the Hammers to sign Locatelli on the cheap next year.
Will Locatelli Be A Good Choice For West Ham United Boss David Moyes?
Locatelli is a good tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his team inside his half. He usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the front foot.
The Italian sensation has even got the vision to engineer a few promising chances in the final third. He is a good dribbler with the ball as well but needs to add more goals to his game.
We can expect Locatelli to inject a lot of quality into West Ham head coach David Moyes’ midfield. He has what it takes to nail down a regular starting spot at the London Stadium next year.
Furthermore, Locatelli is good enough to help the Hammers push for European football once again in the Premier League this season. All in all, he would be an excellent choice for the East London club to consider when the transfer window reopens at the start of January. However, there are some question marks over whether Locatelli can cope with the physical nature and high intensity of English football.
