Locatelli set to pen new Juventus contract amid outpouring support | OneFootball

Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli is expected to sign a contract extension in the coming weeks, rewarding him for his excellent campaign.

The 28-year-old was the main culprit in the Bianconeri’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Sassuolo on Saturday evening.

Late in the match, the midfielder had the opportunity to score the winner from a spot-kick won by the returning Dusan Vlahovic. However, the skipper’s shot was too weak, allowing Arijanet Muric to comfortably gather.

Manuel Locatelli was left devastated by penalty-kick miss

After the contest, Locatelli was visibly inconsolable. Mattia Perin, Carlo Pinsoglio, Kenan Yildiz and others tried their best to lift his mood, but to no avail.

The Italian international spent Sunday with his family before joining the Azzurri’s ranks at Coverciano, where he’ll have the opportunity to take his mind off the weekend incident by shifting his focus to the World Cup playoffs.

Tuttosport reveals that Locatelli received outpouring support from friends, contacts, and social media followers, but only briefly replied.

As the source explains, the former Milan man can’t help but feel responsible for squandering two valuable points that could prove very costly in the Champions League race at the end of the season.

Locatelli to sign new Juventus contract until 2030

Locatelli is not one to shy away from responsibility, and this is one of the reasons why he was appointed captain in the first place.

According to the Turin-based newspaper, the missed penalty kick had little impact on the management’s great esteem towards the skipper. Therefore, he is still expected to be rewarded with a new and improved contract.

The report reveals that further talks between the player’s entourage and the club’s hierarchy will take place while he’s away on international duty.

With the player’s current deal expiring in June 2028, this isn’t considered an urgent matter like the cases of Luciano Spalletti and Dusan Vlahovic, so the signatures won’t necessarily arrive imminently.

Nevertheless, Locatelli is still expected to pen a new Juventus contract in the coming weeks or months. The new deal will push back the deadline to June 2030 and will raise his yearly net salary to €4 million, on par with Weston McKennie, who also earned a pay rise last month.