`According to Calciomercato, Juventus are finally ready to offload Daniele Rugani in the summer as they look to recover their financial structure amid a Coronavirus pandemic. Arsenal are among the clubs interested in the services of the Italian centre-back, who could be available for €25 million. However, the player would demand a salary of €3.5 million a year.
Rugani’s struggles at Juventus
During the early days of his professional career, Rugani was touted as one of the most talented defenders in Italy. However, he has never really managed to live up to his expectations at Juventus. This is mainly due to the club’s over-dependence on ageing defenders such as Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.
As a result, Rugani has continuously failed to make himself a regular member of the Juve first-team. But, it is also fair to point out that the Italian international has not been able to seize the opportunity whenever it was handed to him.
This season, for example, Rugani was a favourite to form the defensive pairing alongside Bonucci following the injury of Chiellini. However, he lost his place in the team to the likes of Merih Demiral and new signing Matthijs de Ligt, who, despite failing to settle into Italian football, has been preferred ahead of Rugani.
Assessing Rugani’s weaknesses
Rugani is a gifted footballer, who can carry the ball out from the back and distribute possession all around the park. But, he is often criticised for his glaring weaknesses, one of which is the lack of mental strength.
Indeed, the Italian, more often than not, cracks under pressure, making silly defensive errors. It makes him an unreliable defensive option and Juventus have been quick to realise that, which is why they primarily consider him as a fourth-choice centre-back in the current setup.
Another critical weakness in Rugani’s game is that he lacks physicality. Despite standing at 1.90m, the 25-year-old is not as imposing as other centre-backs and therefore, he might struggle to cope with the physically astute nature of the Premier League.
Why Arsenal must not make a move for Rugani
Arsenal are in dire need of someone who can add composure and solidity in the backline next season. The likes of David Luiz and Sokratis have failed to provide that, and the Gunners simply can’t afford to invest in another mediocre centre-back, who hasn’t even managed to establish himself as a top-class defender in Serie A.
And given the financial toll inflicted on European football clubs by the Coronavirus, Arsenal need to tread carefully in the market. Shifting towards other defensive targets, therefore, is perhaps the wiser decision at the moment for manager Mikel Arteta.
