Sassuolo star Manuel Locatelli has had a transfer to Manchester City mooted, and the 23-year-old admits that a move away from his native Italy is "an option" for him to explore in upcoming windows.
The midfielder, who has become a full international after leaving AC Milan in 2018, is tied to a contract with his current club through to the summer of 2023.
That agreement is helping to bump his asking price up, but it could be that tempting offers are tabled that have Locatelli mulling over a big-money switch elsewhere.
What has been said?
Quizzed on his future by Corriere dello Sport, Locatelli said: "I don’t know if this will be my last year here or what the future holds for me. When, and if, there are opportunities, we will evaluate them all together."
He added on the potential of seeking out a new challenge outside of Serie A: "Playing abroad is an option for me and at the moment I’m not excluding anything. It’s part of my job and it means that I have raised my level.
"Certain certificates of esteem and interest from big clubs increase my motivations and make me understand I’m on the right track."
Why is Locatelli attracting interest?
Locatelli has made 91 appearances for Sassuolo, with six goals and 10 assists recorded.
His combative qualities in a holding role and ability to push on into the final third when required have led to admiring glances being shot in his direction from across Europe.
Pep Guardiola is said to be a fan, with City looking to bring in a long-term successor to Fernandinho. They would, however, expect to face plenty of competition if he were to leave Sassuolo, with Goal able to confirm in early April that Juventus have entered into talks.
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