Arsenal are said to be hoping that a deal for Adrien Rabiot can be completed ‘immediately’ - if they can find an agreement with his mother and agent.
The Juventus midfielder is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, meaning the upcoming January window is the final opportunity for the Bianconeri to cash in. Manager Massimiliano Allegri is keen to keep hold of the player, but club bosses are willing to sanction a move to help ease their financial concerns.
La Repubblica via Sport Witness claim that bosses of the Italian giants would be willing to accept bids in the region of €15m - a snip for a player fresh off an impressive World Cup campaign.
The 27-year-old played a pivotal role in France’s run to the final in Qatar, having returned from the international wilderness after previously refusing to go on a standby list. His performances during the winter have only increased the market for Rabiot, who was already in demand during the summer.
On that occasion it was Manchester United hoping to engineer a move with Football Director John Murtough flying out to Turin in order to complete the transfer. However, the Red Devils were unable to get it over the line, baulking at the financial package laid out by Veronique Rabiot.
The midfielder’s mother has developed a reputation as a tough negotiator and the exchanges with Old Trafford hierarchy did little to distil that notion. And according to the latest reports, the Gunners are coming up against a similar obstacle, with his representative chasing an annual salary of €10m (£8.8m).
Arsenal are said to be unwilling to match that request, but should a middle ground be reached, there is hope a deal could be completed swiftly. Rabiot recently admitted that a move to the Premier League was in his plans, having spent some time with Man City’s academy during his formative years as a player.
“It was very good experience. I didn’t do a whole season, though,” he explained. “Everything went well while I was there. I really liked the atmosphere. It’s really something that is only in England. It’s different from France and Italy.
“I have always said that I’d like to play in England in my career. I still have that desire. I’d like to evolve in the Premier League.”
Rabiot added: “I haven’t got a Premier League team in mind right now. I haven’t chosen a team or anything. It’s a general thing. It’s the league, it’s the level of play that’s going on, that’s what attracts me most. It corresponds to my qualities.”
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal’s bosses that his current squad means they are not in a position to coast through the January window, despite sitting top of the table. The Gunners lead nearest rivals Man City by five points at the mid-season break, but Arteta is adamant that they will do their utmost to continue improving the options at his disposal.
“We will be in the market always active and we will assess the biggest opportunities that we have,” the Spaniard said this week. “We are going to be active and being active means we are always going to be looking to strengthen the team.
“This squad doesn’t have the luxury of not maximising every single window and we have to do that because it’s really important. But then we want to get the right profile and the right player and a player that is going to impact the team and take us to the next level.”
