Arsenal have once again reignited their interest in Juventus player Daniele Rugani after failing to land the defender twice, back in 2015 and 2018.
According to Italian website Gazzetta Dello Sport, cited by The Sun, the Gunners have proposed a two-year loan deal for the 25-year-old centre-back in a bid to strengthen their defence.
Gunners captain Laurent Koscielny is at a crossroads with the club as his Arsenal future hangs in balance, meanwhile, the likes of Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin are working on making their way back from injuries.
The Italian International played a total of 1,711 minutes in 20 appearances across all competitions last season.
A smart move to go after Daniele Rugani?
Once touted as the prodigy in Italian football, Rugani, who is an understudy to Bianconeri veterans Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, has seen himself drop down the pecking order after the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt.
The right-footed centre-back is technically astute and an excellent passer of the ball. He averaged a pass success of 90 with 2.1 long balls, which highlight his distribution skills from the back.
Not only is he comfortable with the ball at his feet, but the aerial ability of the former Empoli man stands apart as well, thanks to his 6ft 2in stature.
He recorded 2.7 aerial duels won per 90 minutes last season, and although the sample size is small, it’s enough to judge his supreme potential in the air.
The Italian’s reading of the game is another one of his key features that could come in handy for the north London club.
Rugani managed 1.1 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 0.9 blocks per game across all competitions last season, which speaks volumes about his anticipation skills on the field, an area of great weight for an elite defender.
However, not everything is bright and sunny for the player from Turin. Rugani recently turned 25 and is yet to establish himself as a starter for a major club.
In his 4 years with the Old Lady, the defender has featured in less than 100 games and has primarily served as a backup option.
On top of that, the Italian has spent the entirety of his career in the Serie A so far, which raises concerns about his adaptability to the Premier League.
Seeing the Italian’s potential and current defensive regime at Arsenal, however, the proposed deal sounds like a no brainer, so Emery must figure out an efficient way to incorporate the 25-year-old into the Gunners starting lineup.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
