Arsenal have expressed interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, but is the 24-year-old capable of having an immediate impact for the Gunners?
Of all the elite clubs in the Premier League, there is no doubt that Arsenal have a major crisis on their hands. With the team bouncing in and out of the top ten in the first half of the season, it is fair to say that finishing among the top six will be an insurmountable challenge for the Gunners in 2020.
Mikel Arteta has a difficult task ahead of him in terms of making the players believe in his philosophy, managing some of the egos in the squad, and deciding who should stay and who stay leave in January. According to a new report from French media outlet, Foot Mercato, Arsenal are keen to secure the services of Juventus’ central midfielder Adrien Rabiot in a loan deal next month.
The Gunners’ midfield situation resembles that of a soap opera at the moment. Granit Xhaka‘s inconsistent form and questionable effort has left fans fuming in the last few months, and the same can be said about Mesut Ozil, whose output on the pitch does not reflect the £350,000 he is raking in every week.
Matteo Guendouzi has played better than both Xhaka and Ozil this season, but his form has also been up and down. Lucas Torreira has been the only true workhorse in the middle of the park for Arsenal this season as he utilizes his pace and strength to win the ball back and send his teammates up the pitch.
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Rabiot, who has only made nine appearances for Juventus this campaign, is known as a box-to-box player and that is exactly what Arsenal need at the moment. Too many mediocre teams have outplayed Arsenal in midfield and as a result they have threatened Bernd Leno’s goal far too many times in games. For instance, Brighton, Norwich, Southampton and Watford created an alarming combined total of 87 chances against the Gunners.
Rabiot’s work ethic in midfield should help defenders close open lanes, and his ability to recover the ball in aggressive duels would reduce the overall workload of the back-line. Offensively, the French international is not known as a player who scores many goals or fills up the stat sheet with assists, but he is known for setting up plays that lead to meaningful chances for others.
Rabiot traditionally plays as a defensive midfielder, but he has been utilized higher up the pitch and even out wide at times in the past. If Arsenal do manage to bring Rabiot over on loan from Juventus, they would be adding a player who is looking to prove himself at an elite level.
The Frenchman fell down the pecking order at PSG in his final season there and has also struggled for playing time at Juventus. Arsenal are in need of a player who is eager to showcase his skills and is ready to have an immediate impact. In my eyes, Rabiot would fit the bill for Arteta’s squad.