Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot linked with Manchester City – Reports

Manchester City are reportedly keen on signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer.

The Frenchman isn’t Andrea Pirlo’s preferred option but is nevertheless an important player in the squad. As per Calciomercato (via Juve FC), Manchester City are keen on signing Rabiot.

Juventus are currently in a difficult financial condition. They will need to sell some of their players to raise funds to sign new players or lighten the financial strain this summer.

Rabiot moved to Juventus in the summer of 2019 as a free agent and has done reasonably well at Turin. The Frenchman appeared 28 times in his debut season for Juventus and played a key role in their Scudetto win.

Manchester City have been impressed with Rabiot’s performances, and see him as the ideal long-term candidate to replace Fernandinho in the summer.

The Frenchman isn’t known for his goal-scoring ability from the midfield. But his overall gameplay earned him plenty of plaudits when he had his breakthrough at PSG several years ago.

Rabiot’s ability to put in crucial tackles and his off-the-ball positioning will stand him in good stead at Manchester City, and Pep Guardiola expects his midfielders to follow a strict tactical regimen.

Rabiot is also pretty good during transitions, and despite his build, he is good at taking on players and driving forward.

Since signing for Juventus, he has made 69 appearances and has been an important player in the team. Despite being only 25, Rabiot is a pretty experienced player and has already won titles in France and Italy.

He would undoubtedly be a long-term replacement for someone like Fernandinho, who has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premier League since joining Manchester City.

It remains to be seen how much Juventus will charge for Rabiot, whose contract with the club runs until 2023. Whatever they ask, Juventus stand to make a good profit on the player that they signed for free in 2019.

Manchester City already have Rodri in their squad. Rabiot’s arrival will only make them stronger and set them up for the next few years as both of them are yet to hit their peak years.

Published 09 Mar 2021, 15:21 IST