Arsenal make offer to sign £36m star on initial loan deal, player open to move

We’re now at the business end of the summer transfer window and managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Here, Arsenal are linked with Daniele Rugani…

Arsenal have made a £4.5m offer to take Daniele Rugani on an initial season long loan from Juventus with an option to sign the centre-back permanently next summer, according to Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli.

Unai Emery has already splashed out on the signing of one central defender after snapping-up highly-rated Frenchman William Saliba but the teenager will remain on loan at Saint-Etienne to continue his development during the coming season.

The Arsenal boss still needs further reinforcements at the back as Laurent Koscielny is trying to force a move back to France, Rob Holding is still working his way back to full fitness from a serious knee injury and Shkodran Mustafi’s form continues to be a major concern.

It means Arsenal will be relying on Nacho Monreal and Calum Chambers – who played in midfield while on loan at Fulham last season – to partner Sokratis in the middle of defence during the early stages of the season unless another centre-back can be brought in before the window shuts.

Emery hinted after the Emirates Cup defeat to Lyon on Sunday that he was in the market for another defender and it seems the Arsenal coach is attempting to sign Rugani from Juventus.

Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli – who works for the likes of Gazzette dello Sport and Four Four Two – claims Arsenal have tabled a £4.5m [€5m] offer to take Rugani on an initial loan deal with an option to make the move permanent next summer.

Giulianelli says Juventus are now considering the offer while the 25-year-old defender is believed to be open to the idea of moving to the Emirates. He tweeted:

Arsenal going after Rugani on loan with option to buy next summer. Nothing has been agreed yet. Juventus considering offer of €5m loan fee for year. Player reportedly open to the move.

Rugani would be an excellent signing on loan if we could pull it off and the Mirror suggest he’s valued at around £36m [€40m] but that figure would rise if he succeeds at Arsenal so hopefully we can insert an option to buy at a fixed fee within the deal.

The Italian international made just 20 appearances for Juventus last season and he’s set to fall further down the pecking order following the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax so he’s been tipped to leave in search of regular football.

Rugani – who turned 25 today – was once regarded as one of the best young defenders in Italy but he’s stagnating at Juventus and it seems he’s tempted to resurrect his career at Arsenal if we can get a deal agreed.

READ –> Arsenal transfer news

Let’s see how things progress but I think Rugani would be an excellent addition to the squad and he’d help shore up a leaky defence that conceded 51 Premier League goals last season so fingers crossed we can make it happen.