Fiorentina have renewed their interest in Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, with contacts between the two clubs resuming as the Bianconeri look to reduce their wage bill ahead of the 2026-27 season. The 31-year-old, who came through the Fiorentina academy before joining Juventus, is among the players Juventus are prepared to move on as the club navigates a summer shaped by financial constraint.
The timing matters. Juventus recently reached a UEFA settlement that includes a fine of up to €20 million following Club Financial Control proceedings — a sanction that sharpens the urgency around trimming the squad's cost base. Rugani, who turns 32 in July, represents exactly the kind of outgoing that satisfies both sporting and accounting logic: a player whose contract value exceeds his current contribution to the first team.
The numbers from the 2025-26 Serie A season support that reading. Rugani made six appearances under Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti, contributing no goals and no assists, with an average match rating of 6.60. Juventus finished sixth on 68 points, but one built on a defensive record of 32 goals conceded that Spalletti will want to improve. With the club simultaneously accelerating moves for a new central defender, Rugani's path to regular minutes next season narrows further.
His AI overall score of 68 out of 100 suggests a player who has reached his ceiling rather than one still climbing toward it. That is not a criticism — Rugani has been a reliable squad option across a long Juventus career — but it does mean a prospective buyer is acquiring known quantities rather than upside. For Fiorentina, that may be precisely the appeal: a composed, experienced centre-back familiar with the demands of Italian football, available at a price Juventus will want to keep low to facilitate the exit.
The Daffara sale to Parma earlier this window illustrated Juventus's willingness to move players with a future resale clause attached, suggesting the club is structuring outgoings carefully rather than simply clearing the books. Whether Rugani's deal takes a similar shape will depend on how negotiations develop, but the direction of travel is clear: his time in Turin is drawing to a close, and Florence is the most credible destination.