Barcelona have reportedly been joined by Chelsea in the race to sign French midfielder Adrien Rabiot from Juventus in the summer transfer window.
According to a report from Calciomercato, La Liga giants Barcelona are set to battle it out with Premier League bigwigs Chelsea for the transfer of Adrien Rabiot, who could be sold by Juventus at the end of the season.
Rabiot, 26, has been with the Bianconeri since 2019, having arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. However, the Frenchman has struggled to make the kind of impact that was expected of him and has had two middling seasons in Italy so far.
Despite largely being a regular in the scheme of things under Andrea Pirlo this season, Rabiot has not been able to step up and make a difference in what has been a faltering campaign for the current Serie A champions. And, it seems like Juventus have now run out of patience with the former PSG star and are looking to cut their losses in the summer transfer window.
This development has alerted a host of clubs across Europe, with Barcelona amongst them. The Catalans strengthened their midfield unit last summer by signing Miralem Pjanic from Juventus last summer. However, the Bosnian has failed to establish himself as a regular at Camp Nou and could be set for a summer exit amid reports claiming that he has been offered to Atletico Madrid.
In addition to that, Sergio Busquets is not getting any younger either. So, signing another midfielder like Rabiot, who can essay multiple roles in the middle and his best years in front of him, would be a good move by Barcelona. In fact, the Catalans are already said to have held talks over a potential swoop for the 26-year-old.
However, Barcelona will now have to contend with competition from Chelsea in the race to sign the midfielder. The Blues have a quality midfield unit spearheaded by N’Golo Kante. In Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho, they have two world-class operators with plenty of experience at the highest level while Billy Gilmour awaits in the wings to make a splash.
In addition to those already at the club, Thomas Tuchel would also be welcoming back loanees like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley among others, although their futures at the club are far from secure. And throw in Jorginho’s constant flirting with a return to Italy, adding another central midfielder would make sense for the Blues.
Rabiot, to that end, has emerged as a viable target considering that he has worked with Tuchel in the past at PSG and enjoys a strong on-field partnership with Kante for the French national team.
Juventus value Rabiot at around €20 million, which would be a hefty profit considering that they signed him for nothing. Apart from Chelsea and Barcelona, Manchester United are also interested in the Frenchman. And, it now remains to be seen as to who comes out on top in the race to sign him up this summer.
