Tottenham Hotspur reportedly lead the race to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, a target for Liverpool and Barcelona.
Adrien Rabiot will be out of contract at the end of the season, and Juventus are under pressure to sell him in January. A report from Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, claims that Tottenham have been told to pay around €10-15 million for the 27-year-old central midfielder, a target for Liverpool and Barcelona.
Rabiot has been linked with a move to the Premier League for months now. He was expected to join Manchester United at the start of the season. But the transfer did not materialise because of his wage demands, and the Red Devils have now moved on. It remains to be seen whether Tottenham can pull off a deal in the coming weeks.
Antonio Conte needs to add depth and variety to his midfield in January, and Rabiot would be a superb addition to the Tottenham squad. He is an excellent passer, who will add technicality and defensive steel to the Spurs side.
Furthermore, he is available for a bargain because of his contract situation. The transfer seems like a no-brainer for Spurs. But Tottenham will face stiff competition from Barcelona and Liverpool for the Frenchman’s signature.
Tottenham are currently fourth in the Premier League table and will be looking to secure Champions League qualification and challenge for a trophy. They will have to do better than they did in the first half of the season. And a signing like Rabiot could help them improve considerably.
It will be interesting to see if Conte decides to switch to a midfield three if Spurs end up signing the Frenchman next month. A player of his quality will not want to sit on the bench, and it seems unlikely that the Tottenham boss will drop the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg or Rodrigo Bentancur.
Rabiot has been in fine form this season and he excelled at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with France as well. He was one of their key players as Les Bleus made it to the final of the marquee event, only to lose out on the trophy to Argentina.
A move to the Premier League would give the player a new opportunity, and it will help him get over the disappointment of the World Cup as well. It will be interesting to see if the two clubs can agree on a fee now. Meanwhile, the player has been linked with clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool as well.
Barcelona could use some depth in their midfield, especially with Sergio Busquets expected to move on in the summer. And Liverpool will have to replace the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Milner.
A signing like Rabiot would be ideal for both Barcelona and Liverpool. And the fact that he would be an inexpensive acquisition means that the two clubs will be able to invest in the other areas of their squad as well.
