“The clubs kept meeting” – Serie A midfielder’s brother opens up on Arsenal attempt to sign him

Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli's brother has confirmed that Arsenal were among the clubs interested in signing him.

Locatelli left Sassuolo in 2021 to join the Bianconeri on loan. His brother, Mattia, has now revealed that the Gunners were keen on bringing the player to the Emirates.

Speaking to Lacasadic, Mattia Locatelli said (via Calciomercato):

“I still remember the negotiation. For him it was very long. There was also Arsenal, but he wanted Juventus, The clubs kept meeting, but without reaching an agreement. Every day I looked at the Gazzetta to check."

He added:

"In Sassuolo he trained separately, in him the desire to move. A real emotion. On the day of his debut, he sent us a photo with the shirt and the words ‘I made it’.”

Premier League leaders Arsenal recently bolstered their midfield by signing Jorginho from rivals Chelsea. They also have the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka in their ranks.

Locatelli, on the other hand, has been a crucial player for Juventus this season. He has made 25 appearances for Massimiliano Allegri's team across competitions.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta happy with his players' reaction to consecutive defeats

Oxford United v Arsenal: Emirates FA Cup Third Round

Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this season. After being ousted from the FA Cup by Manchester City, the Gunners succumbed to a shock defeat against Everton in the league.

Manager Mikel Arteta, however, is happy with the manner his team have responded to the losses. He told the media (via the Gunners' official website):

“In football, you’re going to lose football matches, The match we lost at City was very different to the one we lost against Everton."

He further added:

“Losing brings a lot of opportunities to look at other things and the reaction of the team. The reaction of the team has been superb this week… we sat together, discussed the game and what happened. The opponent played their part and you have to congratulate Everton for what they did on the day."

Arteta further added that this is a good opportunity for his side to show their character:

“It’s true that there were things we didn’t do like in other games and that’s the reason you lose football matches. There’s always an opportunity to bounce back, show the character that we have and how much we want what we are fighting for."

The Gunners will host Brentford in the league on Saturday, February 11.