agreed with
@Robee here, loca can certainly play regista at an acceptable level, but he's more efficient as a cm. i really hope arthur can get himself into a physical shape that would allow him to play 70-80 minutes twice a week so that loca could play a bit more freely and further up the pitch.
Why get cought up in specific names and titles? Regista is specifically the DM, deepest mid, in a 3-man midfield. By definition
Locatelli has barely played that all season.
He is best as DLP, the deeper playmaker, CM in a two man midfield.
I never advocated for him to play there only, but if the option is to buy some serviceable guy to take the regista role or God forbid play Arthur there and push Locatelli in as much of an unnatural position of advanced CM in a 3 man midfield or get a natural advanced CM like Pogba or SMS the choice is clear.
What gets lost here is we're talking about 3-4 different positions and roles as one when DM in 3, more offensive CM in 3, more defensive CM in 3, more offensive CM in 2 and more defensive CM in 2 are all completely different.
One thing is clear, he has never been a guy like Pogba or SMS who bombs forward and scores and assists a ton which is required IMO in that more offensive CM in 3 role, otherwise the midfield is too flat and the front 3 is left to do too much.