Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes West Ham United would be pulling off a “huge coup” if they signed Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli in January.
O’Rourke was speaking to This is Futbol about the latest news from the London Stadium.
According to Il Bianconero (via Sport Witness), Locatelli has attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs ahead of a potential move away from Juventus in January.
The midfielder, who has been labelled as a “dominator” by football scout Jacek Kulig, is currently on a two-year loan from Sassuolo, with the Italian giants having the obligation to buy him next summer for more than £34m – so the Irons would presumably have to exceed this fee in order to secure his signature.
The same media outlet said to “watch out” for David Moyes’ side ahead of a potential deal for the 24-year-old this winter.
And O’Rourke believes that West Ham’s interest in Locatelli shows that the club are now “competing against the best clubs” for signings.
He said: “I think West Ham are showing that they are looking and competing against the best clubs for the top signings.
“Locatelli has had a bit of a disappointing time at Juventus following his move from Sassuolo.
“Arsenal have also been linked with Locatelli as well, so that just shows what type of player he is.
“It will be a huge coup if West Ham were able to pull off that signing.”
TIF Thoughts on O’Rourke’s comments…
We agree with O’Rourke and believe that West Ham would be making a huge statement by securing the signature of Locatelli in the new year.
The 24-time Italy midfielder has made 10 appearances for the Old Lady across Serie A and the Champions League this season without producing a goal or assist, according to Transfermarkt.
However, he is a progressive midfielder, as shown by the fact he ranks in the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues and European competition for progressive passes per 90 minutes (5.53) over the last 365 days, as per FBref.
Therefore, we think that Locatelli’s signing would be a gamble as it would be a hefty fee, but he could take West Ham to the next level if he was to produce his best form at the London Stadium.