Italy has perhaps made the best impression at the European Championship so far and with Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli, the Squadra Azzurra also has an unexpected star. Who is the player who has saddled national coach Roberto Mancini with a luxury problem?
Manuel Locatelli presented himself to the general public at the European Championship with two goals against Switzerland and a strong game against Turkey.
Connoisseurs of the Serie A have known for some time that the 23-year-old midfielder has a lot to offer. With the modest but wonderfully footballing Sassuolo, Locatelli has shown for 3 years that he is one of the best midfielders in Italy.
Last season he had the most passes in Serie A, made the most passes in one time and also had the most touches on the ball. OIn the list of the most efficient tacklers, he ranks second.
Forwarded at Milan, blossomed at Sassuolo
Manuel Locatelli took his first steps on the football field at Atalanta and was snatched away by Milan at the age of 11. He made his Serie A debut with the Rossoneri in 2016 at the age of 18.
Despite a promising start, Locatelli slowly left Milan, which opted for the short term with the transfers of Biglia, Montolivo and Bakayoko, among others. In 2018, Locatelli was loaned to Sassuolo, who took him over permanently a year later.
At Sassuolo, Locatelli quickly flourished in the attacking football of coach Roberto De Zerbi. With his vista and passing, he quickly became a mainstay in the team and also confirmed the good things he had shown at Milan at times and at an early age last season.
Luxury problem in midfield
Thanks to his strong performance at Sassuolo, Manuel Locatelli was allowed to make his debut with the Squadra Azzurra last year. In his first international match, a 0-1 victory of Italy against the Netherlands, he immediately handed the sheets in midfield as if he had never done anything else.
Since then, Locatelli has been a regular customer in the squads of national coach Roberto Mancini, although no one expected the midfielder to be in the starting lineup at the European Championship. After all, the Barella-Jorginho-Verratti triangle is Mancini’s preference, but Verratti is still making his way back after an injury. Locatelli has now seized that opportunity with both hands.
And so Italy suddenly has a luxury problem, because what if Verratti is fit again? Do you just put a player who is in top form and scored twice against Switzerland on the bench? Or should someone else give way in midfield? Mancini will soon have to cut that knot.
What after the I?
That Manuel Locatelli is ready for a step higher has been known in Serie A for some time. Juventus, among others, was already linked to the midfielder, but after two matches at the European Championship, all of Europe knows the qualities of the 23-year-old Italian.
Will Locatelli stay in Serie A or will he take the step abroad like fellow midfielders Jorginho and Verratti? Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali previously indicated that there is serious foreign interest.
According to the specialist website transfermarkt.com, his market value for the European Championship was 35 million euros. In the meantime, perhaps a few millions have been added. The chance that Sassuolo’s bank account will be heavily fed after the European Championship is increasing by the day.
