Juventus closer to Locatelli, but no deal yet

Juventus and Sassuolo have agreed the figures of the €35m Manuel Locatelli transfer, it’s reported, but not the payment schedule or formula for making the loan permanent.

The clubs had what was meant to be their final big summit after lunch today, but multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia all report there will have to be another encounter over the next few days.

There is progress and they have seemingly agreed the figures for the transfer, which should be circa €35m, a considerable lowering of the original €40m plus bonuses asking price.

However, the big question marks remain on the formula of the payment.

Sassuolo are adamant they want it to be a loan with obligation to buy next summer, whereas Juventus already have to complete payment for Fiorentina for Federico Chiesa on that date.

So they’d prefer for it to be a two-season loan with payment due in June 2023.

There are also issues over whether it’s an option to buy or a guaranteed obligation, not to mention how much of the fee is in performance-related bonuses, add-ons and percentages of any future transfer.

The Bianconeri want it to be an option that becomes an obligation only after Champions League qualification.

Locatelli should still end up at Juventus, but Sassuolo want to be absolutely sure they are getting a decent deal out of a player whose profile just rose significantly thanks to UEFA EURO 2020.

#Locatelli @juventusfc offerti oggi 35 bonus compresi (prestito annuale con obbligo alla qualificazione #Champions), il @SassuoloUS vuole un obbligo ancora più sicuro @SkySport #calciomercato

— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) August 13, 2021