Manuel Locatelli said joining Juventus is ‘a dream come true’ and salutes Sassuolo. ‘Life is made of choices and it was the right time to say goodbye.’
The Italy international finally completed his transfer today after weeks of tense negotiations.
“It’s a dream come true,” he told Juventus TV.
“The dream of a child who worked so hard, that has given everything on the pitch, that arrives at Juve with the desire to take to the field for the fans and who can’t wait to get onto the pitch at the stadium.
“And that’s just the start!”
It will be a two-year loan from Sassuolo for free, with obligation to buy for €25m from 2023 plus up to another €12m in bonuses.
There are reports at least €10m of those bonuses will be relatively simple to activate, with the extra €2.5m tougher to achieve.
Some have questioned how Juventus got such good terms on the deal, but it was not dissimilar to the situation last summer with Federico Chiesa and Fiorentina.
Arsenal had offered far more lucrative deals to both Sassuolo and the player, but Locatelli had his heart set on Juve and would not even consider other destinations.
Locatelli also saluted his Sassuolo supporters after completing the transfer.
“What to say. The tears I had yesterday when saying goodbye to the squad are proof you are in my heart. You always will be, because you made me become a better person and player.
“Life is made of choices and it was the right time to say goodbye after you accompanied me on this wonderful journey. It has not been easy, you know that, but once you overcome the difficulties, the result is extraordinary.
“You are my family, you took me to winning the Euros. I will always love you. Thank you from the depths of my heart to the Squinzi family, who showed belief in me. Thank you to all the teammates who, between a telling off and a speech, made me a man.
“Thank you to director Carnevali, Giovanni Rossi and coach De Zerbi, for whom I will always feel something special. Thank you to all from Fofo to every person who works in this oasis of joy. I love you all so much. Arrivederci, Sassuolo.”