Manuel Locatelli suggests he will leave Sassuolo in the summer and refuses to rule out a move to PSG.
The former Milan starlet has been linked with Juventus and Manchester City. According to reports in Italy, Sassuolo won’t let him leave for less than €40m in the summer.
The midfielder, who has become a full international after leaving AC Milan in 2018, is tied to a contract with his current club through to the summer of 2023.
That agreement is helping to bump his asking price up, but it could be that tempting offers are tabled that have Locatelli mulling over a big-money switch elsewhere.
“I thank Sassuolo because they believed in me when nobody did, but we all know what’s the best path to take this summer, and it can lead to Italy or abroad,” the Italy international told L’Equipe.
“I am open to a new experience outside Italy, because you don’t get the same opportunity twice. PSG are a top club, there are Italians, but also Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, a future Ballon d’Or winner and Paris is a lovely city,” he continued.
“The Champions League quarter-finals between PSG and Bayern Munich were two fantastic games. I was impressed by the quality of their passes, we saw the difference between good players and champions.
“There is the same potential in Serie A, but we’ll get there in two or three years.”
Quizzed last month on his future by Corriere dello Sport, Locatelli said: “I don’t know if this will be my last year here or what the future holds for me. When, and if, there are opportunities, we will evaluate them all together.”
He added on the potential of seeking out a new challenge outside of Serie A: “Playing abroad is an option for me and at the moment I’m not excluding anything. It’s part of my job and it means that I have raised my level.
“Certain certificates of esteem and interest from big clubs increase my motivations and make me understand I’m on the right track.”
Locatelli joined Sassuolo in a €13m deal in 2019 and his contract at the Mapei Stadium expires in 2023.
His combative qualities in a holding role and ability to push on into the final third when required have led to admiring glances being shot in his direction from across Europe.
Pep Guardiola is said to be a fan, with City looking to bring in a long-term successor to Fernandinho. They would, however, expect to face plenty of competition if he were to leave Sassuolo,
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