Arsenal have suffered the terminal blow in the Manuel Locatelli transfer chase with Sassuolo CEO Carnevali admitting to imminent talks with Juventus amid Gunners interest.
Locatelli, 23, had emerged earlier on in the transfer window as a serious target, but multiple negative updates on the player's stance in wanting a move to Juventus, coupled with the north Londoners signing of young Belgian prospect Albert Sambi Lokonga has made this deal less likely.
Further hopes of resurrecting this deal were hit after several social media hints which demonstrated the Euro 2020 star's eagerness to stay in Italy this summer.
And Sassuolo's CEO Giovanni Carnevali who has previously spoken about his club receiving an official proposal from Mikel Arteta's side, has changed his tune since and has given an important update on the future of their talisman Locatelli.
Fabrizio Romano's latest tweet on the transfer saga read: 'Sassuolo CEO Carnevali to Sky: “Tomorrow we’ll have a direct contact with Juventus for Locatelli. He wants to join Juve”.
“We’d be happy to sell Manuel to Juve... but they need to pay the right fee. Arsenal made a bid to sign him and also a new English club is now in the race”.'
This update also coincides with former Genoa chief Giorgio Perinetti's comments on the situation surrounding the future of the Euro 2020 champion.
Perinetti told Sky Sport 24 (via TuttoJuve): “Locatelli has repeatedly said no to Arsenal because he wants to go to Juve. And Juve itself knows that he prefers the Bianconeri.
“It would be great if a player like him stayed in Italy. At Juventus, he would improve the midfield department which has been in great difficulty for years. A few years ago I tried to bring him to Genoa, but I was unable to complete the operation.”
Locatelli started two of Italy’s fixtures as they went on to win the Euros this summer, whilst also coming off the bench on three occasions.
With Lokonga seemingly coming in as a potential Granit Xhaka replacement, with the Swiss close to the exit door for a move to Roma this summer, numerous midfielders are still in the frame for a possible move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
In the number 10 position, Edu and co. have got their eyes on former loanee Martin Odegaard and Leicester City's creative spark James Maddison.
Whilst further back in the centre of the field, Ruben Neves and Yves Bissouma, two long-term Arsenal targets, could be pursued actively after the Locatelli move now looks to be 100 percent dead in the water after the latest update on the deal.
