Newcastle United have submitted an opening offer to Juventus for the signing of defender Daniele Rugani, according to a report from Italian outlet Calciomarcato.
It was recently reported that both Newcastle and their Premier League rivals West Ham are interested in a move for Rugani, with Juve apparently open to offers for the centre back.
Now it appears as though Newcastle have made their move, with the latest reports claiming that both the Magpies and West Ham have submitted bids to Juventus for the 26-year-old.
It is thought that Juventus are now considering both those offers, and while it remains to be seen how much the two sides have bid, it has previously been claimed that the Italian champions are willing to sell to the highest bidder.
Since making his Juventus debut back in 2015, Rugani has made 101 appearances in all competitions for the Italian champions, and currently has four years remaining on his current contract in Turin.
It is good to see that Newcastle are making their move here in pursuit of Rugani.
For all the talk about adding to their firepower in front of goal this summer, it does feel as though the club could also benefit from an extra element of stability in defence, and Rugani would certainly offer them that were he to make the move to St James’ Park.
But having already spent plenty on the likes of Callum Wilson and Jamal Lewis this summer, you have to wonder how much is left in the budget for this deal, particularly if they get into a bidding war with West Ham, meaning it may still not be the easiest deal for them to pull off.