Chelsea endured a dismal campaign under Antonio Conte last season. Although the Italian managed to win the FA Cup, the team were quite poor in the Premier League. Chelsea finished in the 5th place the last term, effectively losing a place in next season’s Champions League as well.
The ongoing transfer window will be a crucial time for the Blues to make some changes to prevent falling short in the seasons to come. In fact, the Blues have been linked with Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, with a meeting supposedly being held for the player.
The Italian centre-back has been with Juventus since 2013. He enjoyed a successful loan spell with Empoli till 2015, rising through the ranks in Italian football. Juventus then called the player back and since then, Rugani has gone on to make a total of 54 appearances for the Italian champions.
If Chelsea do go ahead and sign him, the Italian would be vying for spots with Cesar Azpilicutea. The question is, is he good enough?
In terms of returns, Azpilicueta certainly has the edge over Rugani. The Spanish defender made 37 appearances in the league last season, scoring 2 goals and providing 6 assists.
Rugani on the other hand, made 22 appearances in the Serie A, also scoring 2 goals but providing just 2 assists. Azpilicueta offers more of a threat going forward as compared to Rugani. He averaged 0.8 key passes per game while the Italian was only able to muster 0.1.
As far as defensive work is concerned, Azpilicueta edges past Rugani yet again. He averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game. On the other hand, Rugani was only able to manage 0.8 tackles and 0.9 interceptions. Azpilicueta trumps Rugani in terms of fouls committed as well. The Spaniard committed 0.7 fouls per game, while the Italian went as high as 1.1.
It is clear that Azpilicueta is the better player here. He is also capable of playing different roles, having been used a wing-back a countless number of times. Although Rugani just 23 years of age, the 28-year-old Chelsea centre-back seems to be more reliable and consistent.
Chelsea also have David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Andreas Christensen as backup options, meaning Rugani is not required. Roman Abramovich should instead fund transfers to bolster their attacking department.
