Arsenal: Adrien Rabiot Worth The Stress Of The Pursuit
Arsenal has been linked with plenty of PSG products in the past, but Adrien Rabiot may be the most enticing. And now he has opened the door.
PSG is one of those teams, along with Borussia Dortmund, that always seems to have players linked with Arsenal. Yet nothing ever seems to materialize. Still, there have been some very near opportunities with all the makings of a logical transfer rumor and Adrien Rabiot falls into that category.
Having exited the Manchester City system at the tender young age of 13, Rabiot went on a pinballing tour of France before landing at PSG. It seemed like a good enough fit, but after last year, Rabiot’s various falling outs with the club’s management left Arsenal in a premium position to pick up the young Frenchman in January. However, having already landed Mohamed Elneny and with Granit Xhaka on the way a move never materialized.
I was a fan of the idea of Wenger keeping in touch with Rabiot throughout this year to try to stir up a move for next summer and that just became a lot more possible with his admission that he wants to return to England, as he did enjoy his brief stay.
Rabiot has been linked to Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham in the past, but it’s our very own Gunners that could offer him a unique growing experience. With Jack Wilshere’s place on the squad in question, Ramsey never wanting to settle in as a wide midfielder and Santi Cazorla aging, there are going to be openings in the very near future, perhaps as early as next summer.
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Granit Xhaka is going to be firmly embedded and Coquelin and Elneny will always have their uses, but beyond that it should be yet another toss-up and with how strong Rabiot has looked thus far into his career, he’s worth the stress the pursuit might take (stress, as in price).
For starters, this season (at only 21 years old) is off to an amazing start. Starting in a crowded PSG midfield, he is averaging 4.0 tackles and 2.7 interceptions a game, altering between a defensive mid and a straight up central mid.
Clearly the kid is finally starting to realize how to utilize his size on the defensive end. He is also starting to assert aerial dominance, as well as maintaining his strong passing record. He’s not losing possession nearly as much either.
Rabiot may be enjoying a fantastic time with PSG, but when Grzegorz Krychowiak is ready to be included, the Pole’s long-term relationship with manager Unai Emery is going to push Rabiot out and then he will be left precisely where he was last January – incredibly talented but always an afterthought at PSG.
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