Chelsea have reportedly held fresh talks with Juventus over Daniele Rugani, but are unwilling to pay his £40 million asking price.
According to a report by The Times, Chelsea are in advanced talks with Juventus over a possible deal for Daniele Rugani. The Blues are hoping to reach an agreement with the Bianconeri for the Italian international’s transfer, but are reluctant to shell out his £40 million asking price.
Rugani is considered one of the up-and-coming jewels of Italian football. But, the youngster has found regular game time hard to come by at Juventus, with senior centre-backs constantly ahead of him in the pecking order. It has been widely reported that the player will seek to play week-in week-out in the upcoming season, and could leave Juventus as a result.
Considering his status as one of the most promising defenders in the world, there has been no dearth of interest in Rugani. But, Chelsea have been the front-runners in his pursuit for a long time now.
The interest from the Blues is not one bit surprising. The 23-year-old enjoyed two fantastic seasons under current Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri while on loan at Empoli. Since then, the two have shared mutual admiration for each other, with Sarri even attempting to sign the Italian international while in charge at Napoli.
Upon assuming the helm at Chelsea, it is clear why Sarri has again gone after Rugani to bolster his squad’s defence this summer. The Blues do have two talented centre-backs in Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. But, the likes of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma have their futures up in the air at the Bridge, while Ethan Ampadu is unlikely to be considered as a regular, yet.
The Chelsea boss has thus, set his sights on another one of his former charges, having already been reunited with Jorginho. Rugani’s qualities on the ball also make him an ideal fit in Sarri’s possession-based system. But, the Blues have failed to reach an agreement with Juventus over a deal for the 23-year-old so far.
Chelsea though, have sent officials to Italy to hold fresh talks with the Bianconeri to try and seal the deal for Rugani. However, the West Londoners are reluctant to meet his £40 million valuation and will try to bring down the asking price for the Italian international.
But, Rugani’s agent may have thrown a spanner in their works after claiming that Juventus have no interest in selling him. It now remains to be seen if Chelsea can reach an agreement with the Bianconeri over the Italian international’s transfer.
With just two weeks left for the summer window to slam shut in England, the Blues need to pick up pace in their bid to beef up their squad. At the moment, things remain in the balance in their pursuit of Rugani.
