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Juventus and Sassuolo have officially had their last meeting when it comes to discussing their deal for Manuel Locatelli.
And it’s for a very good reason.
Juventus and Sassuolo, at long last, have agreed to every single detail you can agree to when it comes to their much-talked about for Locatelli, according to everybody important who reports transfers in Italy. The deal will cost Juventus €35 million plus bonuses and will see Locatelli arrive on an initial two-year loan with an obligation to buy, according to Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio. The redemption clause will be tied to Juventus’ Champions League qualification.
Multiple reports state that Sassuolo will also receive a percentage of any future sale — somewhere between 10 and 20 percent. According to Goal Italia’s Romeo Agresti, Locatelli is set to undergo his medical at J Medical in Turin on Wednesday.
Manuel Locatelli to Juventus, done deal confirmed and here-we-go! Total agreement completed with Sassuolo for €35m plus add ons. Contract until June 2026. ⚪️⚫️ #Juventus
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2021
Official announcement in the next few days. Done deal. pic.twitter.com/ge7nUgXGOc
And now, you can exhale. I know I have.
Locatelli is finally set to become a Juventus player. This is not a drill. It’s happening.
Weeks and weeks and weeks of negotiations with Sassuolo got us to this point. Hearing about meetings might have a different meaning after this transfer saga knowing just how this deal seemed to be negotiated at a snail-like pace at times. Juventus delivered proposal after proposal only to have them turned back by Sassuolo. But, at the same time, they were making progress and obviously felt comfortable paying at least €35 million for a player they have been zeroed in on for months now.
It also helped that Locatelli only wanted Juventus. No other club. If Locatelli was open to signing with another club or didn’t have eyes set on Juventus and only Juventus, then he could very well be an Arsenal or Borussia Dortmund player right now. But because he just wanted to sign with Juventus, Sassuolo was essentially negotiating with one club for weeks.
Now, finally, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally here. We can see it, we can bask in it and we can be thankful for it. Juventus’ longest transfer saga in probably a couple of summers is finally over — and they got the player they’ve always wanted, too.