Chelsea Are Among The Clubs Hoping To Land This Juventus Talent: Should Maresca Snap Him Up? | OneFootball

Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, journalist Pete O’Rourke revealed that Chelsea are among the clubs hoping to land Juventus talent Manuel Locatelli. O’Rourke said,

“No surprise that clubs are looking at him. There’s been talk of interest, as you said, from Newcastle, Chelsea and Bayern Leverkusen. That’s because he’s a top player, very solid defensive-midfielder.

“I think Newcastle, although they’ve got a very good strong starting midfield, he is probably cover where they’re lacking a bit and maybe that’s why they’re being linked with Locatelli as well.

“But I don’t imagine Juventus would be encouraging any offers for Locatelli in the January window and they’ll be hoping to keep hold of their club captain.”

Locatelli’s Impressive Run Of Form In Italian Football

Locatelli has already produced a string of impressive displays for Juventus at the centre of the park. The Italy international has played in seven matches for the Turin club this season across multiple competitions.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 03: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus and Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan battle for possession during the Italian Super Cup Semi-Final match between AC Milan and Juventus at Al Awwal Park on January 03, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old has anchored the midfield well for Juve as he has made 12 tackles, four blocks, six interceptions and ten clearances in Serie A. He has even been accurate when distributing possession after completing 88.5% of his attempted passes in the Italian first division (stats via fbref.com).

Should Chelsea Boss Enzo Maresca Snap Locatelli Up?

Locatelli loves a tackle and can sense the danger well to earn the ball back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when needed and is a tidy passer as well.

The Italian sensation can even strike the ball with power from long range. Locatelli is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also serve as a box-to-box midfielder if required. However, only time will tell whether he can make a smooth transition to life in the Premier League.

We can expect Locatelli to bring more quality to Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca’s midfield. He has what it takes to compete for regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge.

At 27, Locatelli is entering his prime, which makes him a decent choice for the Blues to consider this January or at the end of this season. Therefore, Maresca would be wise to go all out to snap the Italy international up next year.