Paris Saint-Germain midfielder and French international Adrien Rabiot is reportedly closing in on a move to Spanish champions Barcelona.
As per a report from French outlet Paris United (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Barcelona are inching closer to capturing PSG star Adrien Rabiot this summer, after the midfielder rejected a fresh contract offer from the French champions.
The 23-year old has been on the radar of the Spanish champions for a while now and reports earlier this week claimed that Barca were about to lodge a €50 million offer for the midfielder. The Catalans are believed to have tabled a lucrative contract offer to Rabiot, worth around €10 million per year.
And they will have now been handed a boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman, after he reportedly turned down a new contract from Les Parisiens.
Rabiot is in the final year of his deal with the French champions and will be able to leave on a free transfer next summer. The club offered a new contract worth €7.2 million per year plus incentives in order to come close to the pay packet that Barcelona had put forth. However, their advances have been rebuffed by the 23-year old, as he had done once already this summer.
Barcelona have already strengthened their midfield this summer with the addition of Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal. However, manager Ernesto Valverde remains keen on adding another body to the middle of the park before the European transfer deadline at the end of the month.
The La Liga champions were reported to be aggressively chasing Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba, but they seem to have called off the pursuit of the World Cup winner for now.
Ajax’s rising star Frenkie De Jong is also understood to be a top target for the Catalans. But, a move for the Dutchman hinges on his club failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, which seems unlikely following their midweek 3-1 triumph over Dynamo Kyiv in the first-leg of the playoffs.
PSG’s new manager Thomas Tuchel is understood to be intent on holding onto Rabiot as he looks to build a team around the Frenchman, who was also on the radar of Premier League giants Arsenal. However, the club might be forced into cashing in on the midfielder rather than losing him on a free next summer, if the current contract standoff continues.
Barcelona are in no rush to make a move for the midfielder and are prepared to wait to sign the 23-year old. However, delaying the move till the next summer might backfire for them, considering that clubs from Italy and England, where transfer windows have already closed for this summer, will also be able to compete for his signing.
As things stand, a move to Camp Nou for the six-time capped France international seems highly probable, following his rejection of the latest contract proposal from Les Parisiens, unless they are willing to match the wages offered by the Catalans. It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming days, with just a week left for the transfer window to slam shut.
