Chelsea have reportedly entered talks with Adrien Rabiot, who is also being targeted by Barcelona, over a possible move in the January transfer window.
According to a report by French publication L’Equipe, Chelsea are looking to jump the gun in pursuit of Adrien Rabiot, with the hopes of landing the Frenchman in the ongoing transfer window. Barcelona have also been heavily linked with the Frenchman, albeit with a view to make a summer move.
Rabiot has become one of the hottest properties in world football due to his delicate contract situation at PSG. Now into the final six months of his deal with Les Parisiens, the player is set to leave the Ligue 1 champions at the end of the season as a free agent, having rejected several offers made by the club.
Now indefinitely benched, it has become increasingly clear that Rabiot has no future at Parc Des Princes, and his situation has piqued the interest of a bevy of big name clubs across Europe. The most prominent of this interest comes from Barcelona and Chelsea.
Barcelona hold a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old, having monitored his progress for a long time. The Blaugrana had even attempted to sign the played last summer before they ended up turning their interest towards Arturo Vidal.
Vidal though, is only a short-term solution in midfield for Barcelona, and with Denis Suarez slated to leave the club this month, Rabiot is a viable target. But, the Catalans are not alone in pursuit of the Frenchman, with Chelsea also interested in signing him.
Chelsea’s need for midfield reinforcements has been quite well documented lately, and for good reason. The departure of Cesc Fabregas has left the Blues light in the midfield department and with Mateo Kovacic’s deal not having the option to buy, the Premier League heavyweights need to sign at least one creative midfielder, if not two.
For a long time, Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella has been rumoured to be Chelsea’s top target for this month’s transfer window. But, the Blues seem to have turned their attention towards Rabiot, who has emerged as a low cost option for them.
While the Blues can sign the 23-year-old for free in the summer, the fact that Barcelona will be lurking means it makes sense to pursue a January move, especially considering the La Liga champions have been reported to be close to agreeing personal terms with the French international.
Talks between Barcelona and Rabiot though, seem to have stalled lately, and Chelsea are hoping to take advantage of this situation. The Blues have already initiated discussiond with the player’s entourage, with the report suggesting that they are willing to offer better terms than the the Catalans.
The race to sign Adrien Rabiot is clearly intensifying, with Chelsea’s January move for the player sprucing things up. It now remains to be seen if the West Londoners can usurp Barcelona in pursuit of the player, or if the Blaugrana are able to land their target man instead.
