Juventus have had a bid of €30m (£25.7m) for Manuel Locatelli rejected, with Sassuolo determined to hold out for their initial valuation of €40m (£34.3m).
The Italian midfielder's stellar performances in Serie A last season have seen a number of clubs register an interest in him, while his Euro 2020 displays only served to fuel the speculation surrounding his future.
Locatelli has already told Sassuolo that he intends to leave in search of Champions League football, with Juventus emerging as frontrunners to secure his signature.
It was revealed recently that the Old Lady's director of football Federico Cherubini would be meeting up with Sassuolo chief Giovanni Carnevali to discuss a deal, though negotiations haven't got off to the best of starts with Goal reporting that an initial bid of €30m has been swiftly rejected.
Juve's offer included an initial two-year loan with an obligation to buy, with the Serie A giants desperately trying to structure a deal that isn't thwarted by their ongoing financial issues.
Not only have Sassuolo deemed the fee to be insufficient, they've also snubbed Juve's proposed structuring of the deal.
Discussions between the two parties are expected to continue over the coming weeks, though Sassuolo have made it abundantly clear that they want €40m for their midfield ace and they want the move to be permanent.
One club who'll undoubtedly be keeping a keen eye on negotiations will be Arsenal. The Gunners have also been credited with an interest in Locatelli, but their inability to offer Champions League football has seen them fall behind in the race to sign the midfielder.
Should talks between Juve and Sassuolo break down completely, Arsenal may be able to swoop in and take advantage as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his options in midfield ahead of the 2021/22 season.
Source : 90min