Juventus want Arsenal midfielder as Adrien Rabiot's replacement - Reports

Juventus have identified Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga as a replacement for in-demand midfielder Adrien Rabiot, as reported by Italian outlet Calciomercato.

The report claims that Rabiot has been attracting interest from a host of clubs from across Europe, including Arsenal.

The Juventus midfielder is also wanted by the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Manchester United.

The Frenchman was strongly linked with moves to both Manchester United and Liverpool in the summer but it failed to materialize.

Rabiot's current deal at the Allianz Stadium expires in the summer of 2023 and it is understood that the Old Lady are looking to cash in on him in January itself.

The Serie A giants are expected to demand a fee of around €15 million to €20 million to part ways with the in-form France international in January.

Juventus have already started looking for replacements for the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, as per Calciomercato.

They have reportedly identified Lokonga as the best candidate to replace Rabiot in their line-up.

Lokonga joined the Gunners from his boyhood club Anderlecht last summer but has not been able to break into Mikel Arteta's first-team plans.

The Belgian international made just 24 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions last season and has featured 13 times this campaign.

He has been mostly used off the bench by Arteta, deputizing for Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka when needed.

The 23-year-old is contracted at the Emirates until 2026 but could move in search of regular first-team football.

Rabiot has been plagued with inconsistency throughout his entire career and has often made headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2019, he received a suspension for going to a nightclub after his team at the time (Paris Saint-Germain) lost to Manchester United in the Champions League.

In October of the previous year, he lost his spot in the team after arriving late for a team meeting. Such incidents have ensured that his career hasn't progressed as smoothly as it ought to.

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Juventus were interested in another key Arsenal player in recent weeks

As reported by Fabrizio Romano in October, Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes was wanted by Juventus in the summer. Romano wrote in his column for Caught Offside that the defender was sought by two clubs, one of them being the Italian giants.

The Brazil international has since signed a contract extension at the Emirates, pledging his loyalty to the north London giants.

He has been integral to Arsenal's plans as they have enjoyed a fantastic Premier League season and are topping the league table.

Magalhaes has played 20 games for the Gunners this season, across competitions. He started in all 14 of the Premier League matches that he featured in and even got on the scoresheet with a goal each against Chelsea and Fulham.