Manuel Locatelli – Sassuolo’s stabilizing midfield force
AC Milan were supposed to be on the precipice of a new youth-driven age that would allow them to cost-effectively restore the glory of former years. However, with instability at ownership level and constant change on the Technical bench, this ideal was never truly realised. Davide Calabria, Gianluigi Donarumma and Manuel Locatelli were promoted from the academy as the lifeblood of the new team, giving Milan fans a reason to hope with a renewed focus on the academy. Former academy prospects like Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Ricky Saponara were having success elsewhere, so Milan showed a renewed sense of urgency in their academy. However, Locatelli has taken the Saponara and Aubameyang route as he is also now shining elsewhere.
Locatelli joined Milan as a youngster, forming close bonds with teammates, so much so that him and Patrick Cutrone cried at the prospect of not playing together due to Locatelli being promoted to the first team in the 2016/17 season. The then 18-year-old was a metronomic midfielder with a tall and slender build topped with curly brown locks who looked to bring youthful zeal into a Milan midfield that sometimes-lacked inspiration. Locatelli started in a match against Chievo as opposite him was Massimo Gobbi, old enough to be his father at 35-years-old. Locatelli lost the ball early in the game which lead to a Chievo break that ended in Donarumma’s hands as the 18-year-old midfielder put his hands up in the air to admit guilt and admonish himself in soliloquy.
He also started the next game against Juventus with a mistake but in both instances, he remained calm and unphased as a grinder in midfield. Locatelli allowed Milan to evade pressure by making timely movements into space before receiving possession. Against Juve, Suso and Ignacio Abate utilised a combination to open some space on the right flank for the Spaniard to play in Locatelli who smashed the ball past Buffon, off the crossbar and into the back of the net. Milan won the game in what should have been a catalyst for their young core which soon became mired in crushing expectation and comparisons to the great teams of the past.
“The goal against Juventus changed my life. It was one of the best moments in my life that I will tell my children about. However, there is the other side of the coin: from that moment too, much was expected of me. When things didn't go my way, I suffered. I wasn't a football phenomenon before and after this hit. I've always been the same. Every day I want to improve my skills and feel more and more important in the team. Now I am mentally stronger and readier to meet all expectations,” explained Locatelli to Gazzetta Dello Sport last month.
Locatelli continued to be a starter as Sinisa Mihajlovic trusted him and was willing to undergo growing pains with the teenager. Ever since the match against Juventus, Locatelli had to respond to being marked much more tightly as he strived to impose himself more on games. Away to Roma, he got more involved defensively while being adventurous with his passing. He worked a pass to Mario Pasalic who strode forward and released Gianluca Lapadula for the Italian striker to shoot wide. However, Milan continued to change managers, owners and directors as Locatelli was a victim of yet another squad overhaul in 2018 when he moved to Sassuolo on loan.
Although veteran, Francesco Manganelli was the starter, Locatelli regained his confidence as he thrived when playing with Alfred Duncan and Stefano Sensi in midfield. This season, Sassuolo have made Locatelli’s move permanent as Roberto De Zerbi said that Milan had made a mistake in selling the now 22-year-old to Sassuolo. Locatelli has aged as he now has some stubble on his face but his game has developed too since his departure from Milan. His body shape when receiving possession allows him to swivel past markers and drive the ball forward or play one-touch passes to teammates in space. He has now become De Zerbi’s primary regista with Manganelli now on the bench.
He has hit his stride as against Napoli, he frequently won possession and worked passes in between the lines to beat Napoli pressure. In Sassuolo’s double-pivot, Locatelli frequently positions himself in the six space, working one or two touch passes to find the free-man and progress play. At home to Napoli, he played a mesmerising lobbed diagonal into the box for Hamed Junior Traore to finish at the far post. Locatelli controlled the tie against Napoli, knowing when to play a simple backwards or sideways pass to move the line of pressure or when to turn out of pressure. Locatelli could have had a second assist before half-time as he drove the ball into the opposition half to fake a shot before laying a pass for Traore to have his shot saved.
Locatelli has become a fully-fledged midfield controller as he has one of the most precise slide tackling techniques in Serie A. The Italian is unafraid to go to ground but has perfected the art of stretching his leg to regain possession so much that in recent times, he rarely gets singled out for fouls. His slide-tackling technique is so full-proof that at home to Roma, Edin Dzeko was about to score from point blank range after a rebounded Bryan Cristante shot for a floppy haired Italian to dive and clear the ball. Locatelli also had a moment where he shielded the ball to drive into the opposition half before spreading the ball for Domenico Berardi who laid a pass to Jeremy Toljan in the half-space as the German cut back for Francesco Caputo to tap into an empty net.
The Italian is also strong in the air as against Napoli, he had a header cleared off the line while he frequently wins aerial duels. At home to Roma, he won a header for Djuricic to flick through for Caputo to finish and make the score 3-0. Locatelli then received the ball under pressure from a short goal-kick routine before taking it on his ball-far foot to evade the first man in a 3v1 situation before he skipped past the second man to cleverly earn a foul. The young midfielder shares responsibilities with his partner in a double-pivot but stands out when imposing his will on games in a defensive and attacking sense.
Locatelli loves to drive the ball at the opposition, especially in counter-attacking situations as he has an immaculate sense of when to hold the ball and when to release it. The 22-year-old could go on some lung-busting runs from his own half and into the opposition half before spreading the ball for a teammate to have a shooting opportunity. In pressure situations, he frequently outstretches his arms to signal to his centre-back that he is able to receive the ball as he calmly utilises a swivel away from his marker to play a pass through the lines.
"I am living the best moment of my career. National? It is every child's dream, a dream that I have in my drawer, but I have to keep my feet on the ground,” said Locatelli to Sport Repubblica on his National Team aspirations.
De Zerbi was a Milan youth player who only played a few friendlies with the first team before embarking on a career elsewhere. He understood Locatelli’s predicament better than most as he has given him a platform to express himself with more liberation while not being tied down by comparisons to Andrea Pirlo and other greats. Roberto Mancini has watched Sassuolo a few times this season as he should be looking at Locatelli as a midfield option for the summer. Rumours of a move to Juventus were also rife last summer as the 22-year-old has kept everything in his stride since moving away from the comfy and familiar confines of Milan.
