Adrien Rabiot has admitted his Juventus future remains up in the air, with the Frenchman’s contract up at the end of the season.
The central midfielder, 27, came very close to signing for Manchester United in the past summer transfer window after the club agreed a £15million deal with Juventus, only for the transfer to break down after they were unable to agree personal terms with the player.
At Juventus, he has enjoyed quite the resurgence, scoring five goals in Serie A and has carried over the form into the World Cup, scoring France’s opening goal in the 4-1 comeback win against Australia.
Speaking to La Repubblica ahead of France’s high-voltage clash with Denmark which they went on to win 2-1, Adrien Rabiot admitted that his future at Juventus is still unclear:
“If I’ll stay with Juve? I don’t know yet and it’s not the moment to talk about it.
“No doubt these performances help me to go elsewhere, but also to talk to Juve. But now my focus is on the World Cup.”
With Rabiot hoping to impress at the World Cup to earn a big move away from Juventus, here are three clubs that should make a move for him.
#Arsenal
Arsenal saw three bids for Douglas Luiz rejected by Aston Villa on the transfer deadline day in the summer, as Mikel Arteta desperately searched for an extra player for cover in his midfield.
Grant Xhaka and Thomas Partey have formed a strong partnership in the centre of the pitch, but an injury to either one of them could leave Arsenal in a spot of bother. That’s when the Gunners could do with a player in the ilk of Adrien Rabiot.
Rabiot has been one of the rare bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Juventus, and has carried over that form into the World Cup, where he produced a strong performance, scored and assisted a goal for France against Australia.
A versatile midfielder, the Frenchman can operate in multiple roles and should give Arteta the much-needed tactical flexibility, especially in big games. A player of Rabiot’s quality and experience could help Arteta’s Gunners maintain their title challenge.
#Chelsea
Chelsea boss Graham Potter is in the process of rebuilding his squad and will need new midfielders, with N’Golo Kante and Jorginho out of contract at the end of the season.
Kante has become injury prone over the last two years and could be moved on once his contract expires in the summer, while the future of Jorginho remains unclear amidst rumours of his desire to return back to Italy. And with Mateo Kovacic also having dealt with injury problems and Conor Gallagher learning his trade, Potter needs an experienced player to lead his midfield overhaul.
Adrien Rabiot could be that player for Chelsea. At 27, Rabiot is entering his peak and his addition will undoubtedly bolster Potter’s midfield options at Stamford Bridge whilst improving the Blues significantly for the rest of the campaign.
#Tottenham Hotspur
Antonio Conte must add more depth to his squad in January to keep Tottenham in the top four and signing a central midfielder has to be a priority, with Yves Bissouma failing to impress after his summer switch from Brighton.
The signing of Adrien Rabiot from Juventus would allow Conte to rotate his players and keep them fresh throughout the gruelling next half of the campaign after the World Cup. The France international has a vast amount of experience at the highest level of the game and should make a nice combination with the likes of Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Bissouma and Skipp.
The ex-PSG star’s tenacity, energy and versatility also bode well for Conte’s system at Spurs. That being said, Conte and football director Fabio Paratici must use their strong ties to Juventus and try recruiting Rabiot in the winter window.
