One of the bigger Chelsea-related stories over the summer, Daniele Rugani’s potential exit from Juventus was something of a rollercoaster.
Wanting to be reunited with his former pupil, having managed him at Empoli, Maurizio Sarri had asked the Blues to bring in the 24-year-old, and they tried.
Bids were made, with claims some of them reached around €50m, but Juventus stood firm, as Fabio Paratici sees Rugani as one of the centre-backs of the future, and he eventually stayed in Turin.
Corriere dello Sport have an article on his current situation on Thursday, as Roma are showing an interest, but they also look back at what happened over the summer.
They report that when news emerged that Sarri wanted him at Stamford Bridge, Rugani had accepted the opportunity ‘with enthusiasm’, but is now said to be ‘regretting’ the fact the deal never went through.
To make up for it, Juventus are said to have guaranteed him a contract extension from 2021 to 2023, but, as nice as that is, it doesn’t guarantee him the minutes on the pitch he probably would have got at Chelsea, having only started two games in the league this season, as well as coming on for a whole minute in the Champions League.
In the end, Sarri never got a new centre-back, either because he felt his options would only have been improved by Rugani or down to a lack of funds after the arrival of Jorginho and Kepa.
There’s always next year, but the likelihood is the same fences around the young defender will still be in place.
