Chelsea are on the brink of announcing the capture of Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, according to reports in Italy.
Il Gazzetta dello Sport claims the Italy centre-half is close to putting pen to paper on a four-year deal that will set the Blues back an initial £31million (€35m) and see the highly-rated defender sign up until the summer of 2022.
It’s believed the move will also potentially cost Chelsea a further €10million in add-ons depending on how Rugani fares at Stamford Bridge.
The swoop for Rugani – a former target for Arsenal and Everton – will be Chelsea’s first new arrival of the summer and the first capture of the Maurizio Sarri era. The two worked together during their two years together at Empoli.
The 23-year-old Rugani has voiced his frustration at a lack of first-team chances in Turin and now looks set to move on after Juve decided to cash in.
The Italian giants are said to be keen on Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin as a potential replacement, with the 32-year-old also attracting interest from Manchester United.
News of Chelsea’s swoop for Rugani will likely end their interest in Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, with whom Sarri had also been heavily linked with.