According to a report by Daily Express, Chelsea are eyeing a summer swoop for Juventus centre-back Daniele Rugani. The Blues are currently undergoing a period of uncertainty and it remains to be seen if Antonio Conte has a future at the club.
However, it is important for the London-based outfit to bring in reinforcements in the ongoing summer transfer window. Despite winning the FA Cup last season, Chelsea were one of the weakest teams in the top-six. To avoid a sense of deja vu in the upcoming campaign, the Blues must bolster their forces.
It seems like Rugani has been identified as a potential target for the club. Since Chelsea currently have the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, Andreas Christensen, David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger at hand, one might even wonder if the Blues truly require Rugani.
But Cahill is on the wrong side of 30 and an exit appears to be on the cards for Luiz. Thus, a move for Rugani would be smart even if it is not absolutely necessary.
How does Rugani compare to Chelsea veteran Azpilicueta? Let’s take a look at their stats.
Cesar Azpilicueta vs Daniele Rugani stats
In 48 appearances across competitions for Chelsea last term, Azpilicueta scored 2 goals and provided 6 assists. His pass success rate stands at an impressive 85.1% and the defender wins an average of 1.9 aerial duels per game. In addition to that, Azpilicueta averages 2 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game.
Rugani, on the other hand, scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists in 26 appearances for Juventus. With a pass success rate of 89.1%, the player wins an average of 1.8 aerial encounters per game. As far as his defensive work is concerned, the 23-year-old averages 0.8 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game.
Verdict
As seen from their stats, Rugani falls short when it comes to tackling and intercepting but in a majority of other aspects, the youngster seems to have performed better than Azpilicueta. Of course, there is a huge disparity between the amount of time each player spent on the field but nonetheless, Rugani seems like a promising prospect.
That said, unless Luiz leaves Chelsea, a move for Rugani seems highly unnecessary at this stage. The Blues have several other areas that require strengthening and the central defence department need not be a priority. But if Juve are willing to sanction a sale for a reasonable fee, Chelsea might find it tough to resist.
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