Arsenal still keen on Juventus ace with Arteta pushing for ‘key player’ in summer move

Ciaran McCarthy
Adrien Rabiot, Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus. February 2023

Arsenal are reportedly still in the mix for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who they’ve been linked with for some time, with boss Mikel Arteta pushing, as he feels he can be a ‘key player’.

The Gunners were among a few sides that held an interest in Rabiot in January. London rivals Tottenham, as well as Manchester United and Newcastle United, were all reportedly interested.

The Frenchman is in the final yer of his contract and if it’s not renewed he’ll be able to leave Juventus for nothing at the end of the season.

The Turin outfit reportedly had a few offers to take him on board. However, with negotiations surrounding his contract there was no deal done in January.

That might be to their detriment, as it’s unclear whether he will pen a new deal, and could therefore walk away for nothing.

Arsenal have remained interested since the January window closed. Indeed, it seems manager Arteta is keen on the idea of snaring him for nothing.

A report in the Spanish media states the Gunners boss has the midfielder ‘on a list of potential candidates’. What’s more, even despite Jorginho arriving he would have put Rabiot’s name ‘on the table’.

Arteta’s keenness is reportedly due to the fact he thinks the Frenchman can have a good impact in England. Indeed, it’s reported he thinks Rabiot can ‘show a better version of himself’ and become a ‘key player who manages the midfield’.

Arsenal do already have a number of quality midfielders at their disposal. Captain Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are among them.

Odegaard, for obvious reasons, is one of the first names on the teamsheet. However, Partey has missed a few important games this season and the rest are over the age of 30.

As such, bringing in a quality midfielder who is 27 years of age to slot in alongside Odegaard could up the levels of the side. Even if he’s not to start every week, adding Rabiot to the options in the midfield will only make the Gunners stronger.

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