In a recent report, Calciomercato has mentioned that Newcastle United have tabled a bid to recruit Juventus defender Daniele Rugani this summer. However, the Magpies will have to compete with West Ham United in the race to acquire the Italian centre-half’s services before the transfer deadline next month (via Calciomercato).
Rugani’s Lacklustre Season For Juventus
The 26-year-old endured a frustrating season at Turin as he struggled to get a regular run of games for the Italian giants over the past year. He was a sporadic presence at the Allianz Stadium and only made 14 appearances for Juve in the previous campaign, picking up two yellow cards on all fronts.
However, the seven-time Italy international deserves a little bit of credit for averaging 0.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game in the Serie A last season. Rugani was quite tidy with his ball-distribution as evident from his pass success rate of 87.1% in the top tier of Italy (stats via whoscored).
The ex-Empoli defensive ace is in dire need of earning more first-team starts this season if he intends to stay relevant at the highest level. Therefore, he could be tempted by the possibility of joining the Magpies as he will get a chance to test himself against the best players of Premier League football.
What Will The Italian Defender Bring To St. James’ Park?
Rugani can read the danger quickly that allows him to intercept the ball inside his half. He possesses excellent defensive awareness and has got a great leap in him which explains how he wins so many headers at the back. The Italian international is often quick to react to the threat but could struggle to adapt to the physical nature and high intensity of football in England. Standing at 1.90m, he can be an intimidating presence at both ends of the field and is also a decent ball-playing defender for his side due to his ability to pass the ball well out from the back.
There is no denying that Rugani needs more first-team chances if he wants to make the most out of the remainder of his playing career. At 26, he has not lived up to the hype surrounding his arrival at Juventus from Empoli back in 2015.
However, an experienced manager like Steve Bruce could be the ideal person to get the best out of him if he can convince him to join the Tyneside outfit before the transfer window comes to a halt next month. Rugani will bolster Bruce’s defensive options significantly and provide some healthy competition for the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernández and Ciaran Clark at St. James’ Park in the years to come.
