As the transfer window looms, Arsenal is making some last-minute changes into its roster. Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been quite busy looking for a boost to its defense. Recently, he has set his eyes towards Juventus defender Daniele Rugani.
With Matthijs De Ligt's decision to sign with Juventus, this leaves the club with quite a number of defenders. Reports have claimed that the Seria A club is looking to offload some of its defensive assets, and are looking for a great transfer deal for Rugani.
Arsenal is in great contention for a major title this coming season. However, if there is one thing that has been a constant hurdle for the club, it is its somewhat unreliable defense. Arsenal manager Emery has been busy all summer looking for a boost for its back-four. The most recent of which was a rumored failed negotiation with Scottish Premier League club Celtic in order to close a transfer for its rising left-back Kieran Tierney.
Arsenal have closed a transfer deal with Saint-Etienne worth £27 million for William Saliba. However, it would appear that Saliba is headed back into France on loan as part of the deal.
This simply means that Arsenal's back-four is still as shaky as it was during the previous season. Laurent Koscielny is currently on a contract dispute with the club, and Shkodran Mustafi is not just well worth the bother.
With Juventus willing to offload Rugani, Arsenal in the prime spot to boost up its defensive line. Rugani is a proven defender who has shared defensive duties with notable Italian titans like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.
Rugani, already a capped seven times for Italy's international matches, has played 69 matches in Serie A. While this might be seen as an underwhelming achievement, it should be noted that he tussled for playing time with some of the great defenders in the league.
Whether Arsenal has the resources to complete a transfer for Rugani remains to be proven. The club is still in the middle of a strike with Koscielny and has yet to release a statement as to what the future holds for its skipper. Should Arsenal decide to put Koscielny on the transfer block, there will be no shortage of interests. Maybe, the club can put together a lucrative transfer deal for its captain and use the proceeds of that in order to acquire Rugani from Juventus. If there is one priority for Emery this summer, it is to boost its defensive line, and Rugani might just be the man for that.
