Paratici open talks for Juventus defender after missing out on Chelsea man | OneFootball

New Fiorentina sporting director Fabio Paratici is reportedly trying to reunite with his former Juventus pupil, Daniele Rugani.

The former Tottenham Hotspur official has recently returned to Serie A, taking charge of the struggling Viola.

The 53-year-old is trying his best to bolster Paolo Vanoli’s squad with new players capable of lifting the club from the abyss and avoiding a disastrous relegation, and one of the names on his shortlist is Rugani.

Fabio Paratici seeking Daniele Rugani reunion at Fiorentina

The experienced Italian defender has been on Juve’s books since 2013. He was poached by Paratici himself when the latter used to act as Beppe Marotta’s right-hand man in Turin.

According to Il Corriere dello Sport via TuttoJuve, the Fiorentina director has intensified his contacts with Juventus in recent hours, as he’s hoping to secure Rugani’s services before Monday’s transfer deadline.

(Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)

The Tuscans are currently without Mattia Viti and Pablo Mari, so Vanoli urged the management to bring in a new defender.

Rugani wasn’t necessarily the Viola’s first choice, as they had already tried to acquire Chelsea’s Axel Disasi but fell short. Union Berlin’s Diogo Leite was also on their shortlist, but he appears to be betrothed to Lazio.

Therefore, Fiorentina decided to turn to Rugani, and they’re hoping to find a breakthrough in their talks with Juventus, offering a loan with an obligation to buy.

Why parting ways with Rugani could be risky for Juventus

Although Rugani has never been a first choice at Juventus, Luciano Spalletti has been operating with limited options at the back while the Empoli youth product has been out with an injury.

Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly have been playing non-stop, while Gleison Bremer recently admitted he’s feeling a bit exhausted.

Federico Gatti’s return to the fold should ease some of the pressure, but it might not be sufficient, with the club competing on three different fronts.

So it remains to be seen if the Bianconeri would be willing to relinquish Empoli’s services with the decisive stage of the campaign upon us.