Mikel Arteta keeping tabs on Juventus midfielder
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. As reported by Fichajes, the Gunners boss wants to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates to bolster his options in the center of the park. The Spanish manager believes Rabiot can show off a better version of himself in English football.
Rabiot signed for Juve on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2019. He has since played 124 times for the Old Lady, including 40 appearances during the current campaign. He has six goals and six assists overall for the Serie A giants but is yet to score this season.
Used mostly as a central midfielder, the France international can also play in a more defensive role, as well as a left midfielder.
With his contract expiring in June 2023, Rabiot looks set to leave Turin this summer. He has faced sharp criticism for his performances throughout his time in Italy. The Mirror reported in March that his mother, who serves as the player’s agent, lept to her son’s defense, claiming he had “nothing to prove.”
Arsenal may, however, be put off by the Frenchman’s high wages, with Salary Sport claiming he currently earns £175,000 per week.
Arsenal set for busy summer in the transfer market
The North London club desperately need bodies to bolster out their current playing staff. The Telegraph reports that Arteta named just 17 players in his 25 man squad when the winter window shut.
Arsenal fans were left angry by the club’s decision to let 13 players leave the Emirates in January. This includes senior stars such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Saed Kolasinac and Calum Chambers.
However, The Telegraph also reports that Arteta has a shortlist of four top targets he’d like to add to his side this summer, including two new strikers. Current forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both out of contract in June and are likely to leave.
Homegrown players will be a priority for the Gunners this summer. The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka are already listed as Under-21 players, and therefore do not have to be registered.
Arsenal will for certain need more players for next season and it looks clear they will be returning to European competition. The current campaign was their first year not playing continental football since the 1995-96 season.
The Gunners are currently in the box seat to qualify for the Champions League. They currently are fourth in the Premier League table, two points ahead of arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur with just five games to go.
