Rugani would bolster West Ham's defensive options (Getty Images)
Chelsea’s start to this season has been perfect, but not without glaring flaws. Defensive issues are there to be seen vividly. Arsenal had Maurizio Sarri’s team on the ropes for most of the first half in their encounter. On any other day, the Gunners would have won the game by a handsome margin.
Hence, bringing a sense of calmness to the Chelsea backline should now be the number one priority for the new manager. One name that was linked with Chelsea in the summer was that of Daniele Rugani, the Juventus centre-back. (Express)
It is no surprise that Maurizio Sarri has turned his attention towards the Italian, as the pair was together at Empoli. With both Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini at the wrong end of the 30s, Rugani is considered to be the next big thing in Italian football.
At Juventus, it is tough for the 24-year-old to compete with defenders like Bonucci and Chiellini for regular minutes. However, after the departure of the former last summer, it was expected that Max Allegri would finally give Rugani the match time which he deserved.
But the manager preferred the 37-year-old Andrea Barzagli to partner Chiellini at the heart of the defence for the Old Lady. Even Mehdi Benatia moved ahead of Rugani in the pecking order.
In 22 starts in Serie A last season, Rugani displayed his calmness with the ball as he completed more than 91% of his passes. He made 12 tackles, 81 clearances and 20 interceptions. One interesting fact about the player is that he once went 53 games without a booking.
This proves that he is a player who remains calm, even in the toughest of situations, and prefers to stay on his feet. His positioning and match awareness allow him to be at the right place at the right time.
Metro claims that the 24-year-old turned down a €20m contract offer from Chelsea this summer to stay and fight for his place in Turin. But the re-signing of Bonucci and a new contract to Barzagli might make it very difficult for the youngster to get regular first-team minutes at the club. For that reason, Chelsea can check the resolve of the player and the Italian champions by offering another deal.
A move to the Premier League could very well turn out to be a great step for Rugani to reboot his stuttering career. Perhaps the defender needs a manager to show some faith in him.
The 24-year-old was a regular in Empoli’s promotion-winning campaign in 2013/14 and went on to play every single minute of the following season in the Serie A as the club finished 15th. Hence, the former Napoli boss must show interest in the player and get him as soon as possible.
