Arteta wants ‘€15m’ soon-to-be free agent in January despite colossal wage demands
Arsenal are hoping to land Adrien Rabiot in January instead of waiting to sign him when his Juventus contract expires next summer, according to reports.
Rabiot had a stellar World Cup with France as Didier Deschamps’ side reached the final, losing on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Having been linked with a move to the Premier League for what feels like an age, the tournament in Qatar was a good opportunity for British fans to get a closer look at the Frenchman.
And he impressed, reigniting rumours of a potential move to the English top flight.
Manchester United were very keen on signing Rabiot last summer, but were not willing to meet his wage demands.
Tellingly, the player’s wage demands are expected to increase next summer as no transfer fee will be involved, and free agents tend to receive a greater salary.
A good move should be on the cards in 2023 – if not a Juventus contract extension – following Rabiot’s performances at the World Cup.
Life is not as easy for the 27-year-old in Turin, however, and has recently discussed his desire to play in the Premier League.
According to Italian outlet La Repubblica (via 101 Great Goals), Arsenal are ready to negotiate a deal with Juventus and are willing to take him off their hands when the transfer window re-opens next month.
Juve are apparently looking for a fee in the region of €15million to part ways with the French midfielder.
Rabiot’s €10m-a-year salary request is less than ideal, however, and it could prove to be a major stumbling block.
You would not expect Arsenal to have any desire to meet those demands, especially for a player who would not be a guaranteed starter at the Emirates.
It is unclear whether or not Juventus would look to cash in on Rabiot with the club in a state of disarray at the moment.
Having said that, manager Max Allegri is dependent on the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder this season, especially with Paul Pogba still sidelined with a knee injury.
There does appear to be a desire from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to secure the services of Rabiot with the Gunners mounting a title challenge in the Premier League.
As mentioned prior, Rabiot would probably start off as a bench player if he joined the club, with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey performing extremely well in midfield this term.
A new midfielder is probably on the agenda for Arteta given the fact he tried to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa on deadline day last summer.
Arsenal have also been linked with Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans – who is also available for free next year – and Palmeiras youngster Danilo.
Reports about the two midfielders have died down in recent weeks, but are sure to be brought back to life soon with the winter window close to opening.
Rabiot does not strike me as the sort of player Arteta would be pushing to bring to the club.
There are some off-field issues to contend with when it comes to the Frenchman – mainly his mother and agent, Veronique.
She is a fiery character, who has caused feuds in the past and has been openly critical of her son’s managers.
READ MORE: Ranking the ten worst January signings in Premier League history, including funniest swap ever
Curated from: https://www.football365.com/news/arsenal-push-to-complete-january-signing-of-world-cup-finalist-available-for-cut-price
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