Wolverhampton Wanderers are preparing a January move for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli as pressure mounts to strengthen their struggling squad. The Italian international is also attracting interest from Aston Villa and West Ham United.
Wolves rooted to the bottom
It has been a bruising start to the Premier League campaign for Vítor Pereira’s men. Last weekend’s 3-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Leeds United left Wolves rock bottom of the table and still without a point after five games.
There has been some relief in cup competition, however. The Old Gold reached the fourth round of the EFL Cup after eliminating West Ham and Everton, the latter thanks to a 2-0 victory at Molineux on Wednesday night with goals from Marshall Munetsi and Tolu Arokodare.
Despite the dismal league form, Pereira insists he sees enough quality in training to believe results will turn.
“The work I watch every day is hard work. This is a group who compete and want to be at a better level. We’re just missing the results because the players have quality,” he told reporters.
January reinforcements on the agenda
If their league position does not improve, Wolves’ board are expected to sanction new signings in January to aid the fight for survival. According to reports from Italy relayed by Sport Witness, Locatelli has emerged as a top target, with the club ready to put forward an offer when the window opens.
The 27-year-old’s situation in Turin could make a deal possible, with Juventus considering a sale, though it remains to be seen what fee they will demand. Villa and West Ham are also monitoring developments closely and could rival Wolves in the chase.
Locatelli – the “artist” Wolves crave
Capped 32 times by Italy and with Champions League pedigree, Locatelli is admired for his blend of creativity and defensive awareness. Earning around £103,000 per week at Juventus, the midfielder has been labelled an “artist” by scouts, praised for dictating play while also contributing off the ball.
His arrival could inject much-needed control and composure into Pereira’s midfield – qualities Wolves badly lack in their relegation fight. The big question, however, is whether a player of Locatelli’s stature would be willing to join a side facing the prospect of a survival scrap.