Manuel Locatelli has revealed that he “drove my agents crazy” when he turned down a move to Arsenal, stating, “It’s an incredible team, but I only wanted Juventus.”

The midfielder has been linked with a move to the Premier League for several years, with Arsenal showing significant interest. They aimed to recruit the Italy international following EURO 2020 but were unaware of his strong loyalty to Juventus.

Why Locatelli Rejected Arsenal

TURIN, ITALY – MAY 17: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and ACF Fiorentina at Allianz Stadium on May 17, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Chris Ricco/Getty Images)

Locatelli stated, “It was totally a choice made from the heart.” He continued, “Arsenal is an incredible team, with a great history, in a very important league. But I only wanted Juventus. I’d wanted it from a year earlier when I had come very close to joining them.” He indicated a steadfast refusal to consider any other opportunities, saying, “I drove my agents crazy. They kept proposing all these other teams and I would say no, I only want Juve.”

He shared that his family has always been passionate supporters of Juventus, adding, “I grew up idolising Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved.”

TURIN, ITALY – MAY 03: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC in action against Kieron Tom Bowie of Hellas Verona FC during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Hellas Verona FC at Allianz Stadium on May 3, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

In 2021, Juventus finally made their move for Locatelli, securing him on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy for a total fee of €36.4 million. His perseverance paid off when he became the team captain in January 2025.

Locatelli expressed his pride, saying, “Everyone knows what Juve represent for me. It’s a dream come true, a huge responsibility. I must set the example every single day.” He reflected on his experiences with previous Juve captains, emphasizing the valuable lessons he learned from leaders like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 21: Manuel Locatelli and Mattia Perin of Juventus embrace after the Serie A match between Juventus FC and US Sassuolo Calcio at Allianz Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Concerns arose when Luciano Spalletti took over as Juventus coach, especially since Locatelli was previously excluded from the Italy squad for the 2024 European Championship.

“He talked to me straight away, said he had faith in me and that had probably made some mistakes in the past. It was fundamental to immediately feel that faith,” Locatelli noted, praising the coach’s strong and credible approach.

The midfielder also faced criticism from fans, which he described as challenging. “I did suffer a great deal when people jeered me in the stadium, but at this level you must be able to deal with that,” he explained.

HONG KONG, CHINA – AUGUST 5: Danny Welbeck of Chelsea FC (L) and Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC (R) Competes for the ball during the Chelsea v Juventus – Pre-Season Friendly at the Kai Tak Stadium on August 5, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Locatelli has been candid about his struggles, particularly during his third year at Juventus when he was omitted from the Italy squad for the Euros. “I used to think I could do it all myself, but sometimes you need that view from the outside to give you clarity,” he reflected. He emphasized the importance of discussing challenges, advocating that this is the first step toward solutions. “I realised that I couldn’t do it alone, so I started talking to a professional, who gave me a big hand,” he concluded.

Manuel Locatelli reveals he ‘drove my agents crazy’ when turning down a move to Arsenal. ‘It’s an incredible team, but I only wanted Juventus.’

The midfielder has been heavily linked with a potential move to the Premier League for several years now, and Arsenal were by far the most interested club.

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They hoped to bring in the Italy international after EURO 2020, but hadn’t reckoned with his commitment to the Old Lady.

Why Locatelli rejected Arsenal

TURIN, ITALY – MAY 17: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and ACF Fiorentina at Allianz Stadium on May 17, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Chris Ricco/Getty Images)

“It was totally a choice made from the heart,” revealed Locatelli to Undici.

“Arsenal is an incredible team, with a great history, in a very important league. But I only wanted Juventus. I’d wanted it from a year earlier when I had come very close to joining them.

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“I didn’t want to listen to any other offers, I drove my agents crazy. They kept proposing all these other teams and I would say no, I only want Juve.”

He confessed that his entire family always supported the Bianconeri, and he grew up idolising Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved.

TURIN, ITALY – MAY 03: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC in action against Kieron Tom Bowie of Hellas Verona FC during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Hellas Verona FC at Allianz Stadium on May 3, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Juventus finally came knocking to Sassuolo in 2021 with a two-year loan and obligation to buy for a total fee of €36.4m.

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This determination to stick it out in Turin eventually paid off when he inherited the captain’s armband from Danilo in January 2025.

“Everyone knows what Juve represent for me. It’s a dream come true, a huge responsibility. I managed to become the captain of the team I love, and I know that that entails. I must set the example every single day,” added Locatelli.

“I was fortunate to work with great Juve captains before me, who taught me so much. From Giorgio Chiellini to Leonardo Bonucci to Danilo, I learned something from all of them. Observing is very important, and it’s what I try to tell the young players today.

“I also talk a lot to the staff, those who have been there for a lifetime. This is Juve, it’s a collective, not just us players. If someone stays at Juventus for a long time, it means they deserve to be there. This is my job now, to make others understand what Juventus means.”

TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 21: Manuel Locatelli and Mattia Perin of Juventus embrace after the Serie A match between Juventus FC and US Sassuolo Calcio at Allianz Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

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There were concerns when Luciano Spalletti arrived at Juventus, seeing as he had cut Locatelli from the Italy squad for the European Championship in 2024.

“He talked to me straight away, said he had faith in me and that had probably made some mistakes in the past. It was fundamental to immediately feel that faith. The coach is strong, credible and has a winning mentality, which is an indispensable ingredient for Juve.”

There were also times when the Bianconeri fans turned on Locatelli and were extremely critical, both on social media and inside the stadium.

“I did suffer a great deal when people jeered me in the stadium, but at this level you must be able to deal with that. Some people can’t wait to see you fall down.

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“However, if you can’t handle that, then you cannot be at the top level, because you can’t just stop people talking.”

HONG KONG, CHINA – AUGUST 5: Danny Welbeck of Chelsea FC (L) and Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC (R) Competes for the ball during the Chelsea v Juventus – Pre-Season Friendly at the Kai Tak Stadium on August 5, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Locatelli has been very open about how much he struggled with that period, the third year at Juventus and when he was left out of the Italy squad for the Euros.

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“I used to think I could do it all myself, but sometimes you need that view from the outside to give you clarity. I think too often we athletes try not to talk about our problems, because then they become real. But I am convinced that talking about them is the first step towards finding solutions.

“I realised that I couldn’t do it alone, so I started talking to a professional, who gave me a big hand. You’ve got to do the work within yourself, because we have the power to change,” concluded Locatelli.