Arsenal are ready to make a double move for Juventus defenders Medhi Benatia and Daniele Rugani, and have contacted the Italian club for a potential deal.
Arsenal could be in line to further boost their defence with a reported interest in signing two of their star defenders from Juventus. According to Calciomercato, the Gunners are believed to have made contact with Juventus and enquired about the availability of both their defenders.
At the back of a defensively dismal season, Arsenal are already in the market and making moves to sign players on their shortlist. After Unai Emery made his first Arsenal signing in another former Juventus defender- Stephan Lichtsteiner on a free transfer – the Spaniard is set to make further defensive recruits to bolster the back line.
The news is that Arsenal would be interested in signing not one but two Juventus defenders in Medhi Benatia and Daniele Rugani in the summer in what looks like an ambitious attempt on Arsenal’s part. However, the report also suggests that Juventus could allow Arsenal target Medhi Benatia to move on but would like to keep Rugani in their ranks.
Juventus want to keep Rugani in Turin as they believe he could be their future, despite not featuring heavily last season. Last summer’s sale of Leonardo Bonucci was thought to be the turning point in Rugani’s career as the former Empoli man was tipped for significant first-team action, but that wasn’t the case.
Arsenal have been keeping an eye on Rugani’s situation, and it was believed they would make a summer move for the player. The new pursuit of Benatia shows that Emery wants some star names who have had extensive experience in Europe in his backline for next season.
Benatia’s situation has drastically changed at Juventus, with the Moroccan captain expected to be sold by the Turin club this summer. There were reports of a rift between the defender and manager Massimiliano Allegri at the end of last season, and this could trigger his sale.
If Benatia is to sign for Arsenal eventually, he will not be available on the cheap as Juventus would demand a reasonable price for one of their high performing players from last season. Benatia has been with Juventus for two seasons now, and only signed for them permanently previous season after an initial year on loan.
Benatia went on to make 32 appearances in all competitions last season, including in crucial Champions League fixtures. Rugani, on the other hand, played only 26 games across all competitions, and it was believed he might be looking elsewhere for more opportunities.
Arsenal are also on the verge of signing Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the next few days, but are expected to make a deal for the Italian pair a priority if they are made available. Even a move for one of those defenders would represent a good swoop for Arsenal, who are desperate to bolster their defensive line for next season.
