According to Italian outlet Tuttojuve, Arsenal and Newcastle United are in contention to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot when his contract expires this summer.
The Frenchman is one of the best central midfielders in Serie A and he has been hugely impressive for the Bianconeri, who are competing for Champions League qualification. Rabiot’s current contract with the Italian giants expires in June 2024 and as things stand, there has been no progress over a potential extension.
The former Paris Saint-Germain graduate could move on a free transfer if there is no resolution and Tuttojuve claim that Arsenal and Newcastle are the Premier League clubs who have shown most interest in signing him. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are considered as possible rivals to the English duo for the 28-year-old.
Experienced star
Rabiot has been knocking on the door of Premier League clubs for quite some time. He was heavily fancied to make the move to Manchester United in the summer of 2022. A transfer fee was agreed between the clubs, but Man United pulled out at the final hurdle due to a disagreement over personal terms with Rabiot’s mother and agent.
The £147,000 a week star has continued to speak about his dream of playing in the English top-flight. It did not happen last summer, but a fresh opportunity could arise at the end of the campaign. Arsenal are long-term admirers of Rabiot and they were first linked with the midfielder when he was graduating through the Paris Saint-Germain academy.
They have never been close to landing his signature, but could be tempted to sign him on a free transfer if there are multiple midfield exits. There has been talk of Thomas Partey potentially leaving while Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny could walk away with their contracts expiring this summer. There is a one-year clause in Jorginho’s deal.
Arsenal are expected to invest on a marquee midfielder, but could also look into another cost-effective option to add squad depth. Rabiot would be a good acquisition, but it is left to be seen whether he would accept a reduced role. This could hand an advantage to the Magpies, who could be willing to hand more minutes to the Frenchman.
Eddie Howe’s side tend to operate with a three-man central midfield. Rabiot would be an upgrade on the likes of Sean Longstaff, Lewis Miley, Joelinton and Joe Willock. The Frenchman could form an exciting three-man midfield for the club next season alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali (after his betting breach ban).
