New Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly identified one of his first transfer targets for the summer window, should they stay up.
De Zerbi jetting to London as Spurs confirm appointment
The official confirmation, when it came, brought a sense of resolution to one of the most chaotic managerial sagas in recent Premier League memory.
De Zerbi is Tottenham's new boss, a five-year contract signed and the Italian's name finally above the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The appointment had been preceded by weeks of talks, a dramatic U-turn from De Zerbi himself — who had previously insisted on waiting until the summer — and ultimately a financial package significant enough to change his mind, with Spurs understood to have offered him one of the highest managerial salaries in the top flight.
The timing of the announcement is both exciting and daunting.
Spurs sit 17th in the Premier League with seven games remainin and a single point separating them from the relegation places.
De Zerbi's first assignment is a trip to Sunderland on April 12, giving him precious little time to implement the intensive, possession-based system that made his name at Brighton.
The fanbase is also divided on whether that style is suited to a survival scrap.
What is beyond doubt is the long-term thinking on both sides — this is not a firefighting appointment but a potential project, and De Zerbi is already thinking well beyond May.
According to CalcioMercato.it, one name from Serie A has been flagged as a summer transfer priority.
Roberto De Zerbi identifies Manuel Locatelli as Tottenham target
Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli is that man.
The 27-year-old is understood to be a concrete target for next season, with Juventus also potentially open to a sale given that his contract runs until the summer of 2028 — a window in which they might prefer to maximise his value rather than allow him to enter the final year of his deal.
De Zerbi, in his opening discussions with the Tottenham board, immediately identified Locatelli as one of his top summer transfer targets, as per Calcio.
The connection between De Zerbi and the type of midfielder Locatelli represents is clear.
The Italian demands central midfielders who are technically fluent, positionally intelligent and capable of controlling the tempo of a game under pressure.
Locatelli — who has made 39 appearances for Juventus this season under Luciano Spalletti, establishing himself as the heartbeat of their midfield with three goals and two assists — fits that profile.
His experience as Italy's primary midfield anchor only adds to his suitability, with De Zerbi also helping to mould Locatelli into the player he is today during their time together at Sassuolo.
Locatelli's character may appeal to De Zerbi as much as his football.
Those who worked with him at Juventus speak in the highest terms of his leadership.
Igor Tudor, who managed him before his ill-fated stint at Spurs, made Locatelli his captain from day one and never regretted it.
When Locatelli stood aside to allow the returning Dušan Vlahović — just back from a serious thigh injury — to take a late penalty rather than claim the spot-kick himself, Tudor's verdict was unequivocal:
"Locatelli's gesture of letting him take the penalty was a true leader's gesture."
The irony is that this would not be Locatelli's first flirtation with a move to England
In the summer of 2021, fresh from starring as Italy won the Euros, he turned down a concrete and lucrative approach from Arsenal.
Sassuolo's CEO Giovanni Carnevali confirmed the Gunners bid around £34m — more than what Juventus ultimately paid — and offered a considerably better salary, but none of it mattered.
Locatelli, a lifelong Juve supporter, could not be persuaded. Asked years later if he had any regrets about snubbing Arsenal, his response was a diplomatic but a definitive 'no'.
Whether a move to Spurs under a manager who speaks his language and plays his style of football represents a different proposition entirely remains to be seen.