Juventus will be looking to make it seven wins from eight as they close out the 2025 calendar year against Pisa on Saturday, and they\u2019ll be counting on Manuel Locatelli to deliver the goods and win the midfield battle against the newly-promoted side that has only one Serie A win to its record so far this season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Born in Lecco, Italy, Locatelli spent his formative years at Atalanta before making the move to AC Milan in 2009, where he progressed through the ranks before eventually signing a professional contract in March 2015. Whilst Locatelli managed to carve out a spot in the first-team squad and make 63 appearances for the Rossoneri, he wasn\u2019t quite able to shake off competition from veterans Riccardo Montolivo and Lucas Biglia and become a starter in the middle of the pitch. It\u2019s why, in the summer of 2018, after adding Ti\u00e9mou\u00e9 Bakayoko on loan, Milan suggested that Locatelli join a lower-tier Serie A side on loan, without a buyout option.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Instead of hanging around as a loan soldier, Locatelli instead decided to submit a transfer request and eventually earn a move to Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to buy for \u20ac10 million plus \u20ac2 million in bonuses. Locatelli emerged as one of the finest midfielders in Serie A and proved indispensable for the Neroverdi, scoring seven goals and 11 assists in 99 appearances and eventually breaking into the Italian national team during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
After a momentous summer that saw him lead Italy to their first European championship in 53 years and earn the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Locatelli made the move to Juventus on Aug. 18, 2021, with La Vecchia Signora signing him on an initial two-year loan followed by an obligatory purchase of \u20ac25 million payable over three years plus \u20ac12.5 million in potential add-ons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Linking up with Massimiliano Allegri, who called him up to train with Milan\u2019s senior side in 2013 when he was just 15 years old, Locatelli quickly solidified a starting spot in midfield. He racked up three goals and five assists in 43 appearances as Juve went trophyless for the first time in 11 years, before playing 49 and 40 times in the following two years. After back-to-back trophyless campaigns, Locatelli proved essential in leading Juve to the Coppa Italia title and a top-three finish in 2024, prompting new manager Thiago Motta to bequeath him with the captain\u2019s armband.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Plenty of things have changed over the past 18 months, with Motta, Igor Tudor, and now Luciano Spalletti overseeing Juve\u2019s progress from the touchline, but one thing has stayed the same: Locatelli wearing the armband. It isn\u2019t hard to see why such a diverse range of managers have all preferred the veteran midfielder as their leader, their conduit between themselves and the team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Operating as the anchor in the double pivot alongside a more attack-minded player like Kh\u00e9phren Thuram or Fabio Miretti, Locatelli has stood out thanks to his intelligent decision-making, superb vision, and inspiring defensive work-rate. Locatelli is tasked with controlling the tempo and distributing the ball across the pitch with both quick, short passes as well as instigating counter-attacks with his flawless through balls and lofted passes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He\u2019s the guy that Juve players look towards whenever they\u2019re trying to get out of pressure and work the ball to the final third, capable of storming forward whilst keeping the ball under his control. Similarly to other all-action players like Morten Hjulmand, Jason Shokalook<\/a> and Bradley Barcola, Locatelli blends his smooth operational skills in possession with a fearlessness out of possession, constantly looking to roam around the pitch and get stuck in. He\u2019s going to make his presence felt and use his physicality and positional awareness to his advantage in order to win the ball, but he also isn\u2019t going to be outright reckless and earn unwanted attention from the referee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Locatelli may not steal the show with his red-hot goalscoring form or his flashy individual highlights, but he has become one of the first names on the Juve team sheet thanks to his balanced skillset, be that offering a passing outlet to his teammates, breaking the lines with his sublimely weighted passes, or stepping off the line and intercepting the danger. And whilst he has only scored just 7 goals and 15 assists in 204 appearances for Juve, when he does score, it is typically spectacular.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n