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Arsenal ready to make January swoop for Adrien Rabiot

By Ritayan Chatterjee on December 23, 2022

Arsenal are reportedly ready to make a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot in the upcoming January transfer window, as per the Italian outlet La Repubblica.

The midfielder is set to enter the final six months of his current contract and it is looking unlikely that he will be prolonging his stay at the Old Lady of Turin beyond this term. So, it is expected that the 27-year-old will be on his way out of the Allianz Stadium either this winter or next summer.

The Gunners appear to be looking to add more firepower to their squad this January in order to boost their title charge after the new year. And midfield is one of the positions where Mikel Arteta is seemingly looking to reinforce next month.

It has been reported in recent weeks that the Juventus man has emerged as a potential target for Arsenal and they are looking to take advantage of the Frenchman’s current contract situation.

According to the report by La Repubblica, Arsenal are set to intensify their efforts to sign Rabiot in a cut-price deal this January rather than wait for him to be available for free next summer.

Adrien Rabiot to Arsenal

The report further claims that Juventus are open to letting their man leave this winter and want a fee of around £13m. The report also says that the negotiations with the Bianconeri won’t be an issue for Arsenal, but the biggest stumbling block in brokering this deal would be the player’s salary demands.

Rabiot reportedly wants a financial package of £170,000-a-week to move to the Emirates Stadium this January and the Gunners don’t want to match the Frenchman’s requests. Nevertheless, Arteta’s side believe that a deal can still be done this winter.

Rabiot has performed exceptionally well with his national team in the recently concluded Qatar World Cup and helped his side in reaching the final. So, the 27-year-old could be a valuable option for Arteta if the France international were to join the club.

The midfielder can be deployed anywhere across the middle of the park. He is dynamic, technically gifted and can contribute on both ends of the pitch. Hence, his addition would definitely strengthen the Arsenal squad.

However, if Rabiot stays firm on his salary demands then purchasing him might not be a wise decision as it could disrupt the salary structure and upset a few of the key first-team members. So, it will be interesting to see whether Arsenal will be able to persuade the Juventus man in joining the club this January by reducing the wage demands.