In a recent report, Calciomercato has stated that Everton have launched a move for Juventus midfielder Adrian Rabiot, who has been proposed to Manchester United as a makeweight to bring Paul Pogba back to Turin, which could hamper the Toffees’ hopes of landing him.
Rabiot’s Tough Season In Italian Football
The Saint-Maurice born talent has experienced an up and down season at the Allianz Stadium as he has struggled to be consistent with his performances in recent months. Rabiot has scored three goals and grabbed two assists in 33 matches for the Italian giants this term in all competitions. He has failed to help Juve get past FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League last 16. Plus, the Turin outfit are still ten points behind Inter Milan at the top of the league table, which suggests that Andrea Pirlo would need to make some changes to his team this summer.
Despite his side’s struggles on the field, the 25-year-old has excelled as a defensive midfielder after averaging 2.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 1.0 clearances and 1.1 dribbles per game in Serie A. He has even distributed the ball with a lot of conviction, as evidenced by his pass completion of 90.3% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Rabiot is under contract at Juventus until the summer of 2023, so it would take a significant offer from the Toffees to lure him to Goodison Park during the summer transfer window. At 25, the Frenchman still has plenty of time to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in European football.
What Will The French Sensation Add To Carlo Ancelotti’s Team?
Rabiot is a deceptively quick presence in midfield and has shown great hunger to win the ball back for his side. He can also get back quickly to help out his teammates in defence and can clear his lines when needed.
Standing at 1.88m, the ten-time France international can be a dominant figure at the centre of the park as he has got the strength to overpower the opposition and come away with the ball. He can also contribute by scoring or setting up the odd goal from time to time.
The 25-year-old will be an upgrade over any of Carlo Ancelotti’s current midfield options at Merseyside. Recruiting a midfielder of Rabiot’s quality and age will be a massive coup for Everton, but it would be far from easy considering that Man United could come into the equation for the player. If the Toffees are forced to go head to head with the Red Devils for Rabiot, they are likely to be in for a losing battle.
However, if Ancelotti can lead the Merseysiders to a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, then he will have the lure of Champions League football to try and convince Rabiot to make a switch to Goodison Park before the start of the new season.
