According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, as cited by Metro, Arsenal are willing to sign Juventus outcast Sami Khedira in an attempt to convince the Italian champions to loan Daniele Rugani to Emirates for two years. Khedira has been a bit-part player at Juve, and the club has struggled to offload him, despite him being linked with a move to Fiorentina and Valencia.
But, the Gunners, it seems, are keen to take advantage of this situation and sign the midfielder permanently. In return, they will ask Juventus to ship out Rugani on a two-year loan spell. But, is this the right move by Emery?
Khedira’s lucrative wages could be a problem
While Arsenal are willing to sign Khedira permanently, it’s probably fair to mention that the German international will likely demand a lucrative contract. The ex-Real Madrid star reportedly earns £106k a week, which is pretty expensive for a player who has struggled with a lot of injuries in recent years.
Offering Khedira with lucrative wages could disrupt Arsenal’s financial balance. Besides, the impending arrival of Nicolas Pepe will also consume a chunk of Emery’s wage budget, meaning Khedira must take a pay cut if he is to join Arsenal under the current circumstances.
Rugani might be worth it
Khedira is no doubt, a quality individual, who can add more depth into the Arsenal midfield department. But, even if he struggles to perform in the Premier League, signing Rugani, in return, could be a risk worth taking for Emery at the moment.
The Spaniard is currently devoid of reliable defensive options for the upcoming season. Club captain Laurent Koscielny, in particular, had refused to train with the team earlier this summer and the Frenchman is determined to leave the club. As for Shkodran Mustafi, he is unlikely to play a crucial role following a dreadful campaign. That leaves Emery with Sokratis as his only viable option, with Rob Holding struggling with injuries, of late.
Hence, the addition of Rugani could solve Arsenal’s defensive issues. And should the Gunners manage to get rid of that problem, they could easily become one of the teams to look at given the quality of their midfield or attack.
Emery needs to offload players ASAP
Emery may still yet manage to afford both Khedira and Rugani if he can offload some of the remaining unwanted players in the squad. The Spaniard did well to get rid of Stephan Lichsteiner, Danny Welbeck and David Ospina this summer. But, the likes of Carl Jenkinson and Mohamed Elneny still remain at the club.
Selling these fringe players could help restore Arsenal’s wage budget to an extent, allowing them to fund moves for not only Khedira and Rugani but also Pepe.
