According to reports from Mirror Football, Arsenal and Manchester United are trying to prize prodigious defender Daniele Rugani away from Juventus.
The 21-year-old is one of the most highly-rated prospects in Serie A, having played an integral role in Empoli securing a 15th-place finish in the Italian top flight last season. He rose through the youth ranks at Stadio Carlo Castellani and spent the last two seasons there as part of a co-ownership agreement after officially signing for Juventus in summer 2013, but returned to Turin during the summer.
Rugani had expected to be integrated into the Juve first team this season, but he’s still awaiting his first appearance in Serie A despite the Old Lady’s struggles domestic struggles – currently finding themselves in seventh place and nine points behind league leaders Inter Milan. The only senior action the Italy U21 has seen in any competition thus far was a two-minute substitute outing in September, against Sevilla in the Champions League.
Arsenal and Manchester United are both known admirers of the 6 foot 2 centre-back – in fact the Gunners are believed to have seen a £13million bid rejected during the summer transfer window – whilst Napoli are reportedly preparing an €18million bid for January, in a move that would see Rugani reunited with former Empoli boss Maurizio Sarri.
Reports last week revealed the Italian prospect will ask to leave Juventus in January, possibly on loan, although the club are unlikely to accept his request. But Rugani’s desire to move on combined with Arsenal and Manchester United’s active efforts to ‘prize him away’, as claimed by Mirror Football, could well force Juve into selling.