It was widely believed a month ago that Juventus defender Daniele Rugani would eventually become the first signing of the Maurizio Sarri era at Chelsea. Well, the Italian job that was the transition from Antonio Conte to Sarri took a whole lot longer than anyone expected, and midfielder Jorginho, who moved with Sarri from Napoli, was Chelsea’s first addition of the 2018 summer transfer window.
Backup goalkeeper Rob Green, announced yesterday, was the second addition and Rugani looks likely to be the third.
The Blues are reportedly closing on sealing the deal, and how close they are depends on who you talk to and who you believe, as there are conflicting reports out there. According to The Times, representatives from Stamford Bridge have flown to Italy to discuss terms with the Serie A superpower.
Rugani’s agent, Davide Torchia, spoke about the negotiations to a couple of radio outlets. He affirmed Chelsea’s interest and pursuit of his client.
“The interest from Chelsea is there for Rugani,” Torchia said to Radio Sportiva (h/t Sacha Pisani of Goal).
“Beyond the figures though there’s a technical question. Neither the player nor Juventus has ever said they want a sale. The operation with Chelsea is separate from [Gonzalo] Higuain. Each deal has a different cost and different dynamics.”
While those comments make it sound like we’re still a ways off from this deal getting done, what Torchia said to Radio Vecchia Signora (h/t ESPN FC), paints a different picture. He claims the west London club have made “a pretty big offer.”
“I can tell you the truth about Daniele. Sarri holds the player in very high esteem,” he said of Chelsea’s pursuit.
“Chelsea have put their support behind this transfer the manager is asking for, and they have made a pretty big offer, which Juventus are aware of.”
“On the other hand, Juventus have several times so far been very clear and have repeated their resolve not to sell the player because they deem him important. And they have consistently done this throughout these past years.”
It’s definitely a lot of agent speak, as Torchia is certainly doing his job, trying to get as much potential money as he can for both himself and his client, in these interviews.
What’s keeping this deal from reaching completion right now is probably the price.
It’s been claimed by the London Evening Standard in June that Chelsea made a £35 million bid for Rugani, but Juve are determined to hold out for £40 million. Given the quality of a player like Daniele Rugani, and the recent surge in price for top tier defenders in the transfer market, this price seems rather reasonable.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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