In a recent report, Calciomercatoweb offered an update on Barcelona and their pursuit of Juventus ace Adrien Rabiot. It has been mentioned that Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri does not want the French midfielder to join the Catalan club during this January transfer window.
Rabiot’s Impressive Run Of Form At The Allianz Stadium
Rabiot has been a consistent performer for the Italian outfit this season after putting in a run of impressive displays at the centre of Allegri’s midfield. The French sensation has found the back of the net on five occasions and secured a couple of assists in 18 matches for the Turin outfit during this campaign across all fronts.
The 27-year-old has proven his worth by averaging 2.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 0.5 clearances, 1.2 shots, 1.1 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has even been excellent when distributing the ball from midfield after completing 85.5% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Rabiot is under contract at Juventus until the end of this campaign. Thus, Barca could have landed him on a bargain this winter but Allegri’s recent stance could make things difficult for them in pursuit of the French player.
What Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Do With Regards To Rabiot?
Rabiot is a solid tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team in the middle of the park. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when needed and has got the vision to orchestrate some meaningful chances for his teammates on the attacking end of the field. The French talent can make some decent runs with the ball from midfield but needs to work on improving his productivity in front of the opposition goal. At 27, he has about to enter his prime and has what it takes to make an instant impact at the Nou Camp.
Rabiot is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also fill in as a defensive midfielder if his manager asks him to do so. He would have been an ideal acquisition for Barcelona as Xavi is in dire need to add more quality to this midfield department this winter.
However, Allegri’s reluctance to let him go could spell danger for the Catalan club. Therefore, Xavi should consider focusing on some of his other midfield targets as it seems like a deal for Rabiot is a lost cause for Barca during this winter transfer window.
