Chelsea to Hold Talks Over Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani as Sarri Closes in on Double Signing

Chelsea have had a relatively quiet summer of transfer business to date, with the recent arrival of Rob Green on a free transfer from Huddersfield epitomising the unspectacular nature of Chelsea’s transfer window so far.

Jorginho has, however, followed new head coach Maurizio Sarri from Napoli to Stamford Bridge in a big-money move, and it is said that Sarri could be set to raid Serie A once more for two more star signings before the window closes.

Juventus duo Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani are the names which have been consistently linked with moves to west London recently, particularly since the arrival of Sarri at Chelsea. The Mirror are reporting, however, that no formal approach has yet arrived.

That is according to Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta, who is quoted in the report as suggesting that Chelsea are yet to make a “concrete” offer for Higuain in particular. The Juve chief did, however, also hint that an exit for the Argentine striker could be on the cards, with Milan also linked with a move for the 30-year-old.

Following the blockbusting arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin from Real Madrid this summer, Juventus now have a strike force packed full of star quality, and Marotta admitted to Sky Italia, via the Mirror: “I won’t deny that with the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo we’ve got a quality attacking department that’s a bit crowded.

“We are talking to Higuain and trying to decide what’s the best solution for everyone. There is huge respect for the player.

“We’ll evaluate things, but nothing concrete has arrived from Chelsea and Milan.”

In development of Marotta’s update on the situation, Corriere dello Sport, via Football-Italia, have reported that Chelsea are set to hold talks with their Juventus counterparts this week in Nice in their attempts to strike a deal.

With the future of Alvaro Morata at Stamford Bridge appearing uncertain, Sarri could be keen to tie up a deal for Higuain as the Spaniard’s replacement as soon as possible, and the report suggests that Chelsea’s meeting with Juventus in the south of France will concern deals for both Higuain and Rugani.

Sarri is said to be an admirer of both players, having managed Higuain with great success during the pair’s spell in Serie A with Napoli, prior to the Argentine striker’s dramatic switch to rivals Juventus in 2016.

Higuain’s arrival at Stamford Bridge could provide the ideal reinforcement for a Chelsea frontline which was desperately short of a consistent focal point last season, amidst the struggles of Morata to adapt to the Premier League following a club-record move from Real Madrid.

According to the report from Corriere dello Sport, Higuain is now ‘closer to joining Sarri’ than has been the case at any point this summer.

Sarri’s arrival as head coach could be the decisive factor in Higuain’s next move. Rugani’s potential move to west London will apparently also be on the agenda as club officials hold talks in Nice in the coming days to discuss the double deal.