Manuel Locatelli grew up near Lecco and came through AC Milan’s academy, scoring a famous winner against Juventus as a teenager in 2016. He moved to Sassuolo in 2018 and developed into one of Italy’s best midfielders.
His performances at Euro 2020, including two goals against Switzerland, helped Italy win the tournament and earned him a move to Juventus in 2021. He won the Coppa Italia in 2024 and was later made captain.
Locatelli is a composed, technical midfielder who dictates the play from deep.
Playing style
Locatelli is a composed, technical midfielder who dictates play from deep. He receives the ball from the defence, turns under pressure and plays accurate passes, both short and long. He is also a good tackler and reads the game well, allowing him to protect the defence. At Juventus he has worked under several coaches with different ideas, adapting his role each time, which shows his tactical intelligence. As captain, he is a calm, respected leader.
International career
Locatelli made his Italy debut in 2020 and was one of the key players at Euro 2020, scoring twice against Switzerland in the group stage as Italy went on to win the tournament. He has since been a regular in the squad.
Career in numbers
Locatelli’s senior club career, which began in 2015/16, has so far brought 395 appearances and 18 goals for 3 clubs. His best scoring return came in 2020/21: 4 goals in 34 appearances for Sassuolo. His busiest campaign was 2024/25, with 51 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has made 3 appearances for Juventus. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.