Adrien-Rabiot-celebrates-scoring-for-Juventus
Arsenal have reportedly already tested the ground to sign Juventus central midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer.
The Lowdown: Contract expiring
Rabiot’s contract expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave Juventus as a free agent.
The France international would offer a much cheaper alternative to the likes of West Ham United’s Declan Rice, who Arsenal are reportedly willing to break their transfer record for, and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo, who they had a £70m bid rejected for in the January transfer window.
The Latest: Tested ground
As per Italian news outlet Calciomercato, the Gunners, as well as Newcastle United, have ‘already tested the ground’ for Rabiot, who has failed to agree terms with Juve over a contract renewal.
The Old Lady have offered him a net salary of €7m (£6.2m) per season, whereas Rabiot wants €10m (£8.9m).
The Verdict: No-brainer
It is surely a no-brainer for the North Londoners to sign Rabiot on a free transfer.
Lauded as ‘outstanding‘ for France in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar by football analyst John Molinaro, the 27-year-old ranked as the finalists’ sixth-best performer, scoring one goal and supplying one assist in his six appearances (WhoScored).
At club level, he ranks in the 85th percentile for all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals, as well as in the 83rd for progressive carries per game, 82nd for touches and 80th for aerials won (FBRef).
Rabiot consistently shows that he can perform on the big stage, and signing him for free could mean that the Gunners would have the budget to sign Rice or Caicedo alongside him to really bolster their midfield options for next season.
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