JUVENTUS outcast Daniele Rugani could be on his way to the Emirates next season alongside returning loan ace William Saliba to form a revamped defence.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has made a centre-half his top priority as he looks to offload Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz.
How Arsenal will look next season with Juventus outcast Daniele Rugani and returning William Saliba in new-look defence
The Emirates is set to undergo a defensive makeover in the summer if Arsenal land experienced centre-back Rugani – as Juve boss Maurizio Sarri has only played the 25-year-old in THREE Serie A matches this season.
However they face a fight with Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves who have already submitted an £18million bid for the centre-half, according to Italian outlet Tuttosport.
Rugani is under contract until 2023 so the Old Lady will look to cash in a hefty sum for the international, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus crunch.
The Italian ace has been a key cog for Juventus since 2015, winning four successive Serie A titles and clocking up 92 appearances for the Bianconeri.
And a mouth-watering partnership with Saliba could be on the cards as the Frenchman is now heading back to North London for a transfer completed last summer after a loan spell at Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne.
The ace clocked up 17 appearances in an injury-hit campaign that ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the 19-year-old’s former boss at the Saints Claude Puel, reckons the youngster has what it takes to be a star in North London and patch up the holes in their leaky defence.
David Luiz has proved a reasonable stop-gap signing but is set to leave this summer, with the Gunners willing to hear out offers for Mustafi, Rob Holding and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
That could open the way for Saliba when he touches down at Emirates Stadium, with Mikel Arteta looking to fix Arsenal’s creaky defence if they are to seriously push for Champions League qualification next year.
Saliba is expected to link up in training with the Gunners this month but will not be ineligible to play in the final weeks of the Premier League season.
Arteta is reportedly keen to add another right-back into his squad to compete with Hector Bellerin but limited funds in the Emirates camp could prove a stumbling block.
The North Londoners have eyed Norwich starlet Max Aarons, 20, but it is claimed they will refuse to pay the £30m valuation.
Aarons has shone for Daniel Farke’s side despite their relegation struggles this campaign, clocking up 27 appearances out of a possible 29.
Watch Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah score hat-trick as Arteta’s Gunners thrash Charlton 6-0 in friendly
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
