Mikel Arteta wants to secure French midfielder Adrien Rabiot on loan from Juventus, the Times reports. The new Arsenal manager is targeting the former Paris Saint-Germain player and wants bring Rabiot to the Emirates next month.
The Frenchman has made just 9 appearances since making the move to Turin in the summer and only 5 of them have been starts. As such, the Gunners are hopeful that they can strike a loan deal with the reigning Serie A champions for his transfer. Arteta is keen to bolster his midfield when the transfer window reopens next month and believes that Rabiot is the right man for the job. The Juventus midfielder can operate as a defensive midfielder as well as a playmaker and his versatility can be an asset for Arteta, who does have a huge job at hand at the Emirates.
A deal could help both player and the club
The Gunners are 11th in the Premier League table after 18 games, a period where they have managed just 5 wins. With almost half of the season gone, Arteta will have to hit the ground running if he is to pull his former team out of the fire. The Spaniard has a chance to revitalize his team with the right investments in the winter transfer window. And it now seems that Arteta has set his eyes on Rabiot.
The former PSG midfielder joined Juventus on a free transfer earlier in the summer of this year, after 9 long seasons at PSG. Rabiot rose through the ranks at the French Capital and became an integral part of the PSG team over the years. He ended his association with the Ligue 1 giants this summer, after scoring 24 goals from 227 appearances in all competitions.
The Frenchman is a technically gifted midfielder who also has the physical presence to dominate in the middle of the park. He is very good with the ball at his feet and also has a tendency to make late runs into the box. His intelligence and his understanding of the game make him an asset to any team, however, Rabiot has struggled to find his footing at Turin this season.
Rabiot has managed just 12 appearances so far and is yet to score a goal. He is currently a little down the pecking order in Maurizio Sarri’s team, a situation that has given Arsenal hopes. A deal is a win-win situation for both parties; Gunner would get a fantastic midfielder who could turn their season around, while Rabiot would get a chance to show the world that he still has the ability to perform at the highest level.
If Arteta does manage to get his man, it could be a coup for the Gunners. However, the Spaniard will have to use his man-management skills to the fullest to keep the player, whose off the field attitude has always been questionable, firing on all cylinders.
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