Liverpool, Chelsea set deadline to beat Leicester to £35m Euro 2020 winner
Liverpool and Chelsea have reportedly been set a deadline if they want to beat Leicester to the signing of a Euro 2020-winning attacker this summer.
Serie A outfit Sassuolo have made it clear they will not sell any of their top players, including Domenico Berardi, once the new season has started. The 2021-22 campaign gets underway on August 21 when the Neroverdi head to Hellas Verona, having finished eighth in the last two seasons.
Finishing that high again could prove a tough task if Sassuolo fail to keep Berardi and Manuel Locatelli.
Both players caught the eye with some cameo performances during Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph under Roberto Mancini.
A report in the Daily Express claims that Leicester have shown the greatest interest among English clubs in signing Berardi. The attacker hit 17 goals in Serie A last season.
However, Corriere della Sera states that Liverpool remain keen on a move. Meanwhile, further reports in Italy claim that Chelsea are also in the running.
But if the Reds and Blues want to get one over on the Foxes then they will have to act quickly.
That is because Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali insists they will not sell any of their key players late in August, once the season has begun.
“We want to keep Berardi, he’s our top player,” Carnevali said.
“If we receive an important bid, we will discuss about it and take a decision together with the player.
“We’re not selling our stars later in August.”
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Top clubs hunting Berardi, Locatelli
Berardi has been a real mainstay of the Sassuolo side since he made his senior breakthrough back in 2013.
During that time, Juventus grabbed co-ownership of the winger before eventually selling him back to Sassuolo in 2015.
But since then, the likes of Juve, Napoli and Roma have all been targeting the 26-year-old’s signature.
The report adds that Locatelli is more likely to depart than Berardi this summer, with Sassuolo already holding talks with a number of clubs over a potential deal.
Juventus are in pole position to land the dynamic midfielder, although Arsenal have also been linked.
However, the clock is now ticking for any clubs wanting the impressive Sassuolo duo.
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