Brighton are one of the lowest spending teams in the Premier League. Most reports say the club has one of the league’s three lowest wage bills, and their record signing cost just £30 million. After another strong season, the Seagulls now seem ready to spend big this summer.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Brighton are preparing a bid for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has long admired Locatelli. The 44-year-old manager coached the 26-year-old midfielder when he was in charge of Sassuolo between 2018 and 2021.
Locatelli joined Juventus in 2021 on a deal with €25 million (£21 million) plus add-ons. He’s so far racked up 122 appearances and 4 goals for I Bianconeri. At Sassuolo under De Zerbi, the Italian midfielder played 99 matches and scored 7 goals.
Locatelli signed a new five-year contract with I Bianconeri in November 2023. Despite this, the skilled midfielder may finally be ready for a move to the Premier League. Legendary former AC Milan defender Filippo Galli thinks Locatelli should make the move now.
“I do believe Locatelli has what it takes to do well in the Premier League. He is 26 years old, so has fully matured,” Galli told the Juventus news outlet Il Bianconero. “De Zerbi focuses on possession and the desire to have the ball under control. Locatelli is a player who is perfectly suited to De Zerbi’s style of football,” the former AC Milan defender explained.
It’s obviously too early to say whether the recent reports linking Locatelli to Brighton are accurate, but this is not the first time the Seagulls have reportedly been after the midfielder. Going back to old targets is a well-established part of Brighton’s transfer strategy, which gives some credibility to these reports.
If Brighton are preparing an offer for Locatelli, it will have to be a big one. Most reports say it will take close to £40 million, £10 million more than Brighton’s current record signing, João Pedro.
Signing Locatelli would be a statement of intent for the Seagulls. With Liverpool and Bayern Munich lurking, spending big on Locatelli might also be exactly the kind of signing needed to convince De Zerbi to stay for another season.
