Chelsea and Newcastle United are reportedly ahead on the chase for Adrien Rabiot, pencilled in to leave Juventus in this window.
According to Corriere Dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Adrien Rabiot could be heading to the Premier League, with Newcastle United and Chelsea leading the chase for the midfielder. The Frenchman will likely leave Juventus as the Italian side look to raise funds and restructure their midfield.
Juventus could sacrifice Adrien Rabiot in the summer to reconstruct their squad for next season. The Bianconeri are planning to make significant changes to many areas, having not won the Serie A title for two seasons in a row.
Juventus have grown concerned about their players and are keen to make necessary changes to bring back a competent atmosphere. Massimiliano Allegri is keen to start this process by changing the face of his midfield as the Juve manager eyes a significant shuffle of his players.
Having signed Manuel Locatelli last summer, Juventus also brought in Denis Zakaria, who arrived in January. But, there might be no place for Arthur Melo and Adrien Rabiot. The former is a reported target for Arsenal, while the Frenchman attracts interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Rabiot’s agent and mother, Veronique, has been hoping for a return to PSG, but the French champions have shown no inclination to bring back the midfielder. That leaves Chelsea and Newcastle United as frontrunners for his signature, and a move to either club could be on the cards.
Chelsea have problems in midfield, as they have players like N’Golo Kante and Jorginho entering the final year of their deals. The Italian is a target for Juventus, while Kante could depart if the club fails to extend his stay. If they leave, Thomas Tuchel will be short of quality players in the middle, and Rabiot could considerably fill the gap. A fee of €15-20 million is touted for the Frenchman, which Chelsea could see as a good opportunity.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have been interested in Rabiot since February as they began planning for the summer right after the January window. The Magpies did sign Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon, but they may need more quality in the centre to elevate their levels next season.
Where Rabiot joins this summer will be an interesting story in itself. However, he will be a quality addition to either Newcastle United or Chelsea, although the Blues could be in pole position if these two sides compete for the Juventus star.