West Ham United are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Locatelli’s Juventus struggles

Having joined the Turin club last summer after an impressive showing for Italy in their victorious Euro 2020 campaign, the 24-year-old has seemingly already fallen out of favour at the Allianz Stadium.

Despite starting seven Serie A games under Massimiliano Allegri this season, the midfielder has suffered criticism for his recent performances, which have resulted in early substitutions.

At the weekend, Juventus fell to a 2-0 defeat to AC Milan. After 56 minutes at the San Siro, Allegri had had enough of Locatelli’s performance, for which the midfielder was subsequently branded by some Italian media as looking like a fish out of water.

The Latest: West Ham interest

According to a report by Il Bianconero (via Sport Witness), Locatelli is on the radar of some Premier League clubs amid reports of a potential move away from Juventus in January.

As per Sport Witness, West Ham fans are advised to ‘watch out’ for a potential swoop from the Irons, who may snap up a swift deal in bringing the midfielder to the London Stadium.

With the 24-year-old’s obligation-to-buy clause at Juventus becoming active at the end of the season, the Turin club are said to be unwilling to sanction a sale unless it is for the same €40m fee (£35.1m) that they will have to pay Sassuolo next summer.

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The Verdict: Good prospective signing

Whilst Locatelli hasn’t lived up to expectations since lighting up Euro 2020, he has still demonstrated echoes of quality to suggest that he could perform at the top level in the Premier League.

As per FBRef, the 24-year-old has earned stylistic comparisons to the likes of Tottenham duo Pierre Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur, who have helped the north London club to a third-place position in the English top-flight table currently.

Journalist Raj Chohan has been full of praise for Locatelli in the past, especially for his impressive display for the Azzurri in 2021, stating: “Italy played Locatelli at the base instead of Jorginho vs Belgium in the Nations League third place playoff and looked unreal. He’s got way more line breaking passes in his locker.”

Therefore, if the opportunity arises for the Hammers to bring the 24-cap dynamo to east London, they ought to explore it comprehensively.