Recent reports claim that Premier League club Arsenal is in contact with Juventus over a possible deal that will send Daniele Rugani to England. The transfer window is set to close on Thursday, and Arsenal manager Unai Emery is keen into boosting its defense with the addition of a new central defender.
Arsenal has had its target set into acquiring the Juventus defender for since the opening of the transfer window. In fact, the club have already placed a two-year loan offer for Rugani in July. The bid was rejected by Juventus. The reason behind the rejection was not disclosed, but there are rumors claiming that it has something to do with Arsenal's valuation of Rugani.
The 25-year-old Rugani plays a major role in Juventus' defense. He is a key player in the club's rotation and no doubt helps anchor an almost impregnable defense of the Italian club. These features alone is enough for Arsenal to continue to persuade Rugani into joining the club.
According to Metro, Juventus Sporting Director Fabio Paratici is currently in London. He is slated to facilitate the completion of the transfer which will send Joao Cancelo to Manchester City, while City's Danilo is bound for Juventus in return. Although the report did not confirm it, there are rumors claiming that the Italian director may find its way into the Emirates Stadium for a possible negotiation about this rumored transfer for Rugani. Additionally, Paratici is also holding negotiation talks with Manchester United as Juventus is said to have its interest gear towards Romelu Lukaku.
There is a significant amount of rumor that the deal might push through. Juventus have placed Rugani in the transfer block after the club closed a huge deal with Ajax worth £67.5 million earlier this summer. The deal sent Matthijs de Ligt to the Italian club, and it would appear that the club is working to recuperate its investment by offloading some of its rosters.
Aside from Rugani, Arsenal is also working on a possible deal with F.C. Barcelona for another center-back, Samuel Umtiti. The Gunners is reportedly inching for this deal. The Gunners have been quite busy during this summer, and based on its recent negotiations, it would appear that the club had its sight towards bolstering its defense.
In a statement following Arsenal's match against Barcelona on Sunday, Emery said, "Only if we can sign a player who really, really can improve our squad, then we are going to do that. If not, then not."
