Arsenal have joined Barcelona in the race for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to reports
According to Le 10 Sport, Arsenal have already approached Paris Saint-Germain over a potential summer deal for their French international midfielder Adrien Rabiot who is apparently a “very real goal” for the Gunners.
Rabiot, who flitted around various youth teams before rising through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain’s academy, signed his first professional contract with the French giants back in 2012 after excelling in their youth setup.
His progress through the senior side was also rewarded when the Frenchman was handed a five-year contract back in 2014 amid interest from several other clubs, tying him down to the club until 2019. In 30 appearances across all competitions for PSG, Rabiot has picked up 3 goals and 4 assists this season.
A well-rounded, classy midfielder, Rabiot is also registering an average of 0.72 key passes, 0.79 chances created, 2.04 tackles won, 2.04 successful takeons, 1.64 interceptions and a 90% pass completion rate per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, according to Squawka.
Arsenal are in need of some quality additions to their midfield after failing yet again to seriously compete for any major honours this year and Rabiot has been courted by them several times in the past.
The Gunners have sorely missed Santi Cazorla but cannot rely on the Spaniard’s fitness anymore, while Francis Coquelin has proven to be inconsistent as of yet and Granit Xhaka still looks out of place in Arsene Wenger’s side.
Barcelona have also been linked with a move for the French international – particularly after he excelled against the Catalans in the Champions League. At just 21, Rabiot has already shown immense potential and with Ivan Rakitic’s future at the Camp Nou in doubt, Rabiot could present an option for them.
Although not a similar player to Iniesta – for whom Barcelona have begun looking for replacements – Rabiot can also occupy a more advanced role and his passing ability means he would fit right in with the Catalans’ style of football.
The fact that Rabiot has yet to sign an extension to his contract is also telling. The midfielder will only have one year left on his contract at the end of the season and despite the fact that PSG are under no financial pressure to sell, they might not have a choice should he decide to leave.
