Wolves are ready to take Daniele Rugani from Juventus on a permanent deal, having reportedly made a £30 million offer to dash Arsenal’s hopes of landing the Italian.
Arsenal’s search for a centre-back before the transfer window closes has taken a hit as one of their targets is subject of a massive bid from Wolves. According to The Times, Wolves have made a £30 million offer to Juventus for Daniele Rugani and hope to conclude a deal before the window closes on Thursday.
Rugani has not had a flourishing career in Turin since joining Juventus from Empoli back in 2015. He has only played 87 league games during this period for Juventus and is yet to cement his place as a regular in their backline. It has been largely due to the form and stature of Giorgio Chelinni and Leonardo Bonucci.
He has been continuously linked with a move away from Juventus, but squashed the hopes of interested parties when he signed a new deal back in March this year. However, this summer, Juventus dipped into the transfer market to sign Merih Demiral from Sassuolo and Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax. Those moves have created problems for Rugani and his future at the club.
Maurizio Sarri prefers a back four and unless the new Juventus boss prefers a back-three, Rugani is unlikely to be handed much game time in this coming season. Juventus, though, want Rugani to stay. They are not guaranteeing him regular playing time, but value the Italian.
This is the reason why Juventus rejected Arsenal’s offer of a two-year loan deal, with an obligation to purchase him outright after that period. Arsenal do not have enough funds left after bringing Nicolas Pepe in a club-record £72 million deal from Lille.
However, Wolves have emerged as of late contenders for Rugani and have lodged a £30 million bid for the defender. Even though Juventus rejected Arsenal’s idea of a loan deal, they could be open to selling Rugani for a reasonable transfer fee. Initially, it was thought the Bianconeri had placed a £50 million valuation on Rugani, but it remains to be seen how they respond to Wolves’ offer.
Rugani might also find it interesting to go to the Premier League and play regularly. Be it Wolves or Arsenal, he certainly will get regular time at either club. However, the player is yet to express his desire to leave Juventus and has given no indication so far, despite the recent arrivals that threaten his place in the team.
Rugani would be an excellent addition to Wolves. He would undoubtedly be a welcome addition to a side that will look to cement a place for European competitions next season as well, while also looking to challenge the top-six order. Arsenal’s response will also be interesting to watch as the chase for Rugani intensifies, with the transfer window in England set to slam shut on Thursday.
