Reports: Juventus ‘advancing’ in contract extension talks with Manuel Locatelli

Contract extension season has officially arrived in Turin, everybody. You’ve probably noticed it — and not just because Juve got their biggest building block, budding star Kenan Yildiz, locked into a new long-term deal with a nice raise, too. Or that Carlo Pinsoglio, Juve’s beloved third goalkeeper, signed on for another season.

As news came out that Juventus are talking about a possible new deal with polarizing striker Dusan Vlahovic, it appears things are at a more advanced stage with the man who wears the captain’s armband most days.

According to reports from IlBianconero’s Romeo Agresti and Giovanni Albanese of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus and midfielder Manuel Locatelli are “advancing” on contract talks that would see the Bianconeri captain extend his deal in Turin until 2030. That is a common number, with both Yildiz and fellow midfielder Weston McKennie having also extended their contracts until the summer of 2030.

Locatelli’s current deal runs through the 2027-28 season and he reportedly earns a net salary of €2.5 million.

Locatelli has been one of Juventus best players since Luciano Spalletti — who himself is also going to be in discussions when it comes to a new contract in relatively short order — took over as manager for Igor Tudor in the final days of October. He’s been one of Juventus’ consistent performers and was a driving force in the near comeback in the second leg against Galatasaray.

The 28-year-old Locatelli moved to Juventus in the summer of 2021 after what felt like three or four months full of meetings between the then-Bianconeri front office and Sassuolo. He’s seen plenty of change around him over the course of the last 4 1/2 seasons in bianconero between multiple managerial hirings and firings as well as much of the roster that was around when he first arrived now playing elsewhere.

But it’s the performances he’s put in through all the constant change that has helped him be a player that multiple managers have counted on to try and lead this team through some of its most challenging times in recent years. It hasn’t all been great, but he certainly does look like a player who has raised his game under a manager in Spalletti he asks a lot from him in the offensive and defensive phases of the game in midfield. For the most part, Locatelli has delivered on that, earning the praises of the Tuscan tactician on plenty of occasions since his arrival in the fall.

Now it looks like it will end up in a new contract as the ultimate reward.