According to Fotospor, as cited by Calciomercato, Arsenal are set to reignite their interest in Adrien Rabiot this summer. The Juventus midfielder is reportedly keen on leaving Turin and apparently favours a move to England. As a result, the Gunners are on red alert, although they could face stiff competition from league rivals Everton in the pursuit of Rabiot.
The Frenchman had talked to Mikel Arteta earlier this year but, Juventus blocked his potential move to Emirates. This time, however, the Italian giants might be open to a deal, preferably if Arsenal can offer someone like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in exchange.
Adrien Rabiot’s struggles at Juventus
Rabiot joined Juventus last summer, in a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. He was brought in along with Aaron Ramsey as part of the club’s overhaul in the midfield department. However, the Frenchman’s move to Italy hasn’t exactly panned out the way he would have hoped.
Rabiot struggled with lack of a game-time during the first half of the campaign, with Maurizio Sarri often opting for Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi. As a result, the 25-year-old has featured in just over 1,100 minutes of league football.
Even though the midfielder did become a regular member of the Juve first-team since the turn of the year, he is still reportedly unhappy at the club and wants to try his luck elsewhere.
What can he add to the table?
Rabiot is advertised as a technically astute midfielder. He has an excellent range of passing that allows him to ease the transition as well as create chances. The Frenchman can also thread diagonal long balls that are usually very hard to intercept.
However, what makes him such a sought-after midfielder is his tenacity and work-rate. Indeed, Rabiot can cover a lot of ground and isn’t afraid to make tackles. His ability to win the ball back serves as a key characteristic of his overall gameplay, making him a well rounded central midfielder.
Arsenal are set to reignite their interest in Adrien Rabiot: A good option for Arteta?
Arsenal will undoubtedly welcome the arrival of someone like Rabiot. The Juventus star can be considered as a direct replacement for Dani Ceballos, who is set to return to Real Madrid in the summer.
Rabiot’s passing-oriented game will tune in well with Arteta’s tactical setup that revolves around the possession-based style of football. Therefore, the 25-year-old can add a new dimension to Arsenal’s build-up play and perhaps even boost their chance creation. Also, his tenacious and athletic nature means that he can help make Arsenal much more vigilant in the second line of press.
It is also fair to consider the fact that Rabiot has a vast amount of experience at the highest level of football. So essentially, he is unlikely to find any difficulties settling into Premier League. Hence, Rabiot is indeed a viable option for Arsenal, although it remains to be seen whether or not they can get their hands on the midfielder this summer.
