imo we need 2 players in midfield - someone that can run, defend and offer some dynamism and someone that is creative and can assist and score. we don't need Witsel, all of Rabiot, Bentancur, Locatelli are different quality, a bit different characteristics, but essentially the same player - a Witsel. we need a Naingollan/Fellaini and a de Bruyne/Tielemans, we have plenty Witsels already.
for the first type - Kessie is on an expiring contract, Zakaria is on an expiring contract, both make sense to me. for the 2nd type - that's a summer mercato deal.
Agreed if we're going to play with 3 midfielders, but I am not convinced that is Allegri's plan. He's purposefully forcing them to play with two mids, so I think that is the plan long term because of Dybala and Chiesa together it is hard to find a formation with 3 mids, two of them together plus a striker.
In that case we could do with Locatelli, Zakaria, Rovella, McKennie and Bentancur as 5th mid next season.
Mancini plays Locatelli further up with the national team, and he looks better in that role. You have no clue what Allegri has in mind for him, stop acting like you’re an extension of management.
Witsel ain’t coming here to be a backup either, that’s nonsense.
He plays him there because he has Jorginho who cannot play literally anything else. When Jorginho is on the bench Locatelli is the deepest mid.
How exactly does he look better in that role? He scored two goals vs Switzerland but was nothing special in that position in other games. Meanwhile he has been fantastic all season for us as the holding midfielder and we bought him because he developed playing this role.
I am not acting like I am the extension of management. I am using logic, reliable reporting and evidence so far. Agresti said multiple times last summer Allegri wanted Locatelli to play in front of the defense, he has only played there so far for us even though Max had opportunities to push him more forward with Arthur there and again Agresti said the other day Witsel is an idea to backup and rest Locatelli more and have someone with similar characteristics behind him. Idk why you think 'Witsel wouldnt come to be a backup'. He's not Modric ffs so he can dictate how much he plays like that and nobody said literal backup who plays every 5th game, but he is not coming here to take over the midfield if he comes.