Transfer News: Sassuolo unwilling to part ways with Domenico Berardi amidst Chelsea interest
According to the Mirror, Chelsea have been handed a major blow in their pursuit of Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi.
The 26-year-old is a product of the Sassuolo youth academy and has spent the majority of his career with the Neroverdi barring a brief spell away on loan at Juventus. He enjoyed a stellar2020/21 campaign, plundering 17 goals and setting up eight more in just 30 Serie A appearances for the Serie A side. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Berardi was also a part of the Italian squad that won the Euros earlier this summer. His performances in the competition will only have raised his profile for interested parties.
It is a difficult summer for Sassuolo who are being forced to not just fend off interest for Berardi but also Manuel Locatelli. The former was believed to be on his way to the Premier League and was touted to cost around £40m.
Chelsea were the favourites to land the player but Sassuolo have other ideas. The Italian club’s CEO Giovanni Carnevali has revealed in no uncertain terms that the player is going nowhere this summer. The Blues are keen to add another goalscoring threat to their ranks and will now have to look elsewhere.
“Caputo, Boga, Berardi and Locatelli won’t be sold. We’ve received lots of offers for them, but we’ve rejected all of them.”
Berardi has had some solid, consistent performances with Sassuolo and is proving his mettle on the international stages as well. He has already written his name in Sassuolo folklore and is the club’s all-time top scorer.
The player still has three years to left to run on his current Sassuolo contract, handing the Italians the advantage when it comes to negotiations.
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If we are looking to bring in a goalscorer, there are few better names than Erling Haaland or Harry Kane available on the market. Berardi could, however, prove to be a shrewd acquisition and is also comparativey easier on the pocket.
