Arsenal are in advanced talks with Paris Saint-Germain for Adrien Rabiot according to FranceFootball. Last week reports from Le10Sport also suggested Arsenal were in talks with the player.
Arsene Wenger is looking for a young replacement for the ageing Mikel Arteta whose contract expires next season, and a renewal is in doubt. Rabiot is young but brings a good physical presence to his game and has big potential. The midfielder is keen to leave Paris following a breakdown in relationship between the club and player.
Rabiot is a 19-year-old French midfielder who plays mostly as a defensive minded central player. He would be a natural replacement for Arteta as age gets the better of his form, however he would not provide the immediate World Class option that many Arsenal fans desire in that position. There is no denying Rabiot’s potential and the current contract situation allows for Arsenal to have a great chance of signing him.
Rabiot stands at 6ft 2 and has managed three caps for the French U-21 National team. According to the report in Le10Sport, contract talks have stalled completely and with the teenagers contract expiring in 2015, he will be hot property this summer as clubs look to take advantage. Several European giants have been linked to the midfielder, including Monaco, Juventus and Chelsea.
Due to his potential, any deal would seem positive. However at the expense of a player like Bender or Schneiderlin, the deal becomes less appealing. In an ideal World both players would be signed, with perhaps Rabiot going out on loan for a season. The deficiencies of Arteta were proven on numerous occasions this season and the area needs to be addressed urgently for the Gunners to compete for the league title again.
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Photo via Liondartois