 He made his season debut in a 1–0 victory over Sampdoria appearing as a second-half substitute.On 2 October 2016, after coming on as a substitute for captain Riccardo Montolivo, Locatelli scored his first Serie A goal with his first ever shot goal in a dramatic 4–3 win over Sassuolo.Beginning the season on the bench, Locatelli received his first start of the season on 16 October at Chievo, taking over the deep-lying playmaker role in midfield vacated by Montolivo, who suffered a long-term injury over the international break.