Juventus are ready to offer French midfielder Adrien Rabiot plus cash to Manchester United in order to sign fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba, FutballNews reports.
Since Rabiot joined Maurizio Sarri’s side last season from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, he has struggled to hold down a place in the team and has endured a torrid time with the Serie A champions. However, Juventus hope he can help sweeten the deal to see Pogba return to the club where he spent four years.
Juventus believe they can bring Pogba back to Turin with his relationship at Old Trafford breaking down and according to the Sun, the Italian side think they can persuade Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to sell their prized asset by offering Adrien Rabiot plus cash in a deal totalling £85million.
Gunner manager Mikel Arteta has identified Rabiot as a target in January in order to solve the club’s creativity problem and the Spaniard is hopeful that Juventus would allow him leave Turin on a temporary basis. It is understood that Juventus would prefer to part ways with German midfielder Emre Can, who is even lower than Rabiot in the pecking order at the Allianz Stadium.
Rabiot is capable of operating as both a playmaker and a defensive midfielder and Arteta seemingly sees Rabiot as an ideal solution for his side’s midfield woes. The Gunners have lacked creativity in midfield since Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos got injured and playmaker Mesut Ozil’s unimppresive performance when he is named in the starting eleven.
Also, Granit Xhaka has been relegated to the bench since his clash with the Arsenal fans. The former captain was tipped to leave under former manager Unai Emery, but Arteta appears to have given Xhaka a chance to redeem himself at the Emirates Stadium. However, by pursuing Rabiot, it seems Arteta feels like Arsenal still need more reinforcements if they are to fight their way back up the Premier League table.
Rabiot’s fellow countryman, Pogba has had a poor start to the season with a series of ankle injury worries since last September with the France World Cup winner to miss the next three to four weeks of actions. He was not part of the United side that were spanked 2-0 by Arsenal on Wednesday after he complained of what Solskjaer described as “discomfort” in his ankle.
The Frenchman suggested in the summer that it was ‘time for a new challenge’ but he remained in Manchester after failing to land a summer switch to Real Madrid. While being out injured, Pogba has been seen playing basketball in Miami, on the touchline of a charity match and dancing at his brother’s wedding.
Pogba will have one year remaining on his contract in the summer and United will be aware that they risk losing him on a free transfer for the second time if he decides not to commit to a new deal.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been supportive of Pogba, and speaking on Friday ahead of the FA Cup third round, Solskjaer insisted Pogba’s latest setback was down to a new injury rather than existing one.
‘Paul came back after a long spell out, two games, had a reaction, couldn’t go to Burnley, felt his ankle was sore, and we did a scan,’ he said.
‘And it’s not the same injury, it’s a different injury. Of course, when you get that scan, we speak to him, you consult your own medical people as well like I did, when I did my operation.
‘You want the best second opinion and the advice was to have it done. It’s not a major one and probably, as I said, three or four weeks.’
