Arsenal ‘close’ to signing Juventus star Rugani

Arsenal have reportedly agreed to personal terms with Juventus defender Daniele Rugani ahead of his potential move to the club before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

The Gunners are on the search for a new central defender this month and the pursuit has been further intensified from the fact that Laurent Koscielny has formally parted ways with the club.

According to an exclusive from Alfredo Pedulla, Unai Emery’s side are understood to have finalised personal terms over a £3.6m (€4m) annual salary with the Italy international.

It is added that the Bianconeri may be prepared to loan out Rugani for a two-year period, although the Gunners must accept the inclusion of a mandatory £36.8m (€40m) purchase clause.

The central defence has been a problematic position for the club in the past few seasons and it has been surprising that there has been no improvement made in the ongoing transfer window.

William Saliba has been the only purchase to bolster the central defensive department, but the Frenchman won’t be making an immediate impact, given he has been loaned back to Saint-Etienne for the forthcoming season.

Meanwhile, the potential purchase of Rugani should provide a much-needed boost at the heart of the defence, but there are concerns over his reduced gametime in the past few years with the Serie A holders.

The Italian has been in-and-out of the starting lineup amid the strong competition from Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci and it remains to be seen whether he can prove his worth with an extended run of games.

Rugani has built his reputation with his impressive ball-playing capabilities from the backline, but he surely needs to show an improvement in terms of the tackling, which has not been one of his strengths.