Sarri wants €40m Juventus defender if he takes over at Chelsea

Chelsea will move to sign Juventus centre-back Daniele Rugani if Maurizio Sarri is appointed as manager, according to reports in Italy.

Sportitalia and Calciomercato claim that former Napoli boss Sarri wants to make Rugani one of his main signings if he takes over at Stamford Bridge.

Rugani, 23, played 22 times for Juventus in Serie A last season, the most he has managed since joining the Turin club from Empoli in 2015 – where he was coached by Sarri.

Sarri views him as an ideal addition to Chelsea’s back-line, and would guarantee him even more action on the pitch.

Rugani has previously been linked to Arsenal, who are also on the lookout for new defenders, with Sokratis Papastathopoulos expected to move to the Emirates in July.

Rugani has been capped seven times by Italy, and is said to be valued at around €40m.

Amidst talk of a potential transfer, the player’s agent Davide Torchia said in February: “He is happy at Juventus. He does not want to leave Turin. And he hopes to play continuously. However, if they were to receive a big offer for him, maybe he could be sold.”

The Blues, meanwhile, could be set to lose a defender with David Luiz linked with a move to Napoli, while three unnamed Chinese Super League clubs have also been linked with moves.

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