Reports: Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Fagioli set to sign extensions through 2028

For two of Juventus’ four Italian midfielders on the roster, the first few months of the 2023-24 campaign have been very, very different. And unfortunately, that’s not in a good way for the younger of the two, which is something that has resulted in plenty more not-so-great headlines for Juventus’ off-the-field matters. (It’s been quite the 12 months!)

But now, the two are about to have something good to be happy about.

And maybe one will be a little happier than the other considering what is currently going on in his life.

According to multiple reports out of Italy and basically confirmed by Goal Italia’s Romeo Agresti, Juventus have agreed to contract extensions through 2028 with midfielders Manuel Locatelli and Nicolo Fagioli. The two Italians are currently in the midst of very different seasons, with Locatelli continuing to establish himself as one of Max Allegri’s favorites, while Fagioli’s off-field issues being well-documented over the last month as he is now a couple of weeks into his seven-month suspension for illegal gambling.

The Locatelli and Fagioli renewals are two of the first of many Juve hope to get done over the coming months. According to Agresti, Bremer is close to agreeing to a new deal, while the club is also working on new contracts with Wojciech Szczesny and Daniele Rugani. Juve have also reportedly held initial talks with the representatives of both Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic, who have contracts that run through 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Locatelli is expected to get a raise when he officially signs his new deal, one that would keep him locked in at Juventus until he turns 30 years old. He has played all but about 16 minutes this season, which puts him third on the team behind Adrien Rabiot — who is about to miss his first game of the season this weekend due to yellow card accumulation — and Bremer.

Fagioli’s contract extension is yet another sign that Juventus as a club is very much supporting the youngster despite his turbulent time off the field. Fagioli is basically a spectator for the rest of the 2023-24 season — his suspension is up just in time for the season finale in May — but every signal the club has given is that they are supporting him as much as ever. He is still able to train with his teammates unlike another Juve midfielder who is currently suspended, and he has been spotted in tribuna during the first few games of his suspension. (Namely with captain Danilo right by his side as he deals with his current injury absence.)

But these two contract extensions are a clear sign that they are viewed as a part of Juventus’ future under Cristiano Giuntoli’s roster construction skills. And with more extensions set to come our way soon, the beginnings of what a Giuntoli-constructed squad will take shape over these next few months.