The transfer battle of Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is already a well-contested one with Chelsea and Arsenal due to battle alongside Manchester United, Barcelona and Liverpool for the Frenchman's signature. Now, after his fine performances at the World Cup, the 27-year-old could be on the move in January.
Next month, the former Paris-Saint Germain man enters the final six months of his contract in Italy meaning foreign clubs are able to open talks over a pre-contract agreement for the player. Rabiot is expected to not commit his future to the Old Lady and has a queue of potential suitors to choose from.
His performances in Qatar for the France national team have earned him plenty of praise with numerous fine performances in the middle of the park. Chelsea have identified Rabiot as a possible replacement for N'Golo Kante and Jorginho while Arsenal are understood to be keen on adding a new midfielder to Mikel Arteta's squad.
READ MORE: Adrian Rabiot makes future transfer plea as Chelsea look to solve Kante and Jorginho dilemma
It's likely that Juventus will be keen to cash in on the midfielder in January to avoid losing him on a free transfer in June. In the summer, Rabiot was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United but his wage demands reportedly put Erik ten Hag's side off.
Ahead of the transfer window opening, Rabiot admitted his admiration for the Premier League after spending one year at the academy of Manchester City. "I feel attracted by the football, by the Premier League itself and its super competitive nature. I loved my time there, even if I was young. I liked the culture and the life; my family liked it too," he told ESPN.
"I am not indifferent to playing in England, but there will be many options to consider. I have not spoken with Juve about the future, for example as our start to the season was tough, plus the World Cup was coming and I wanted to focus on it. After the World Cup, I will start thinking about my future more concretely."
Now, the World Cup is over and his future will be number one priority for the Frenchman. As rumours continue to link Rabiot with a move to England, BBC Sport pundit Micah Richards has praised the midfielder for his displays in the World Cup.
“Sometimes when we are in England, we talk about the Premier League being the best league,” said Richards.
“We call the French league the farmers league. But look at Rabiot, he has been one of the players of the tournament.”
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