Arsenal Transfer News: Adrien Rabiot Would Be a Fine Acquisition for Gunners

As Arsenal fans clamoured for Arsene Wenger to sign a striker in the flickering embers of the transfer window, almost unnoticed, the Gunners suddenly found themselves exceptionally short of defensive options.

Indeed, Arsenal now only have three orthodox first team central defenders on their books and at the base of their midfield, a dynamic, industrious player with a defensive focus has long been lacking.

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In the former of those two positions—which Arsenal have been without for myriad transfer windows—it seems that Wenger is waiting for the perfect fit to come along. A midfielder who is defensively sound, but has that patented Arsenal swagger with the ball at his feet. A player who can marry physicality, purpose and poise. And a player who won't cost that much to bring to north London.

Remarkably, that man could well become available to the Gunners in January in the form of Paris Saint-Germain’s young midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

An undeniable talent that’s shown plenty of promise in a scattering of first-team appearances with the Ligue 1 champions, the Frenchman looks poised to move on in January and the Gunners and Chelsea are reportedly very keen, per Anthony Chapman of the Express.

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Rabiot was close to a transfer to Roma at the end of the summer window, but he couldn’t agree personal terms with the Giallorossi. Now, with his contract set to expire come the end of the current campaign and with first team opportunities set to be scarce, he’s a player that looks destined for pastures new in January.

PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi admitted recently that the 19-year-old is destined to leave the Parc des Princes:

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We talked about Rabiot with Roma and other clubs. But we did not come to any agreement.

I love the kid—I think he's a great player and I want him to stay. I have tried to get him to renew his contract, but without success. He wants to leave.

"

Here’s what Rabiot could potentially bring to the Emirates should Wenger snap him up:

There’s a host of facets to this player that make his future extremely intriguing.

Firstly, his raw ability will make him a highly coveted talent. For a player so young he reads the game astutely, he’s a fine tackler and standing at 6' 2", he provides an indomitable physical presence in midfield. Rabiot has also been touted as a player that could potential play in central defence in the future, too.

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In addition—something that’ll certainly appeal to Wenger—he’s very capable and efficient on the ball, meaning he has all the requisite qualities to slot seamlessly into the base of this Arsenal midfield.

It’s a position that the Gunners definitely need to bolster given their current, ageing options and the PSG man would be an ideal fit, as noted here by football writer Samuel Jay C:

But with Rabiot’s contract set to expire next summer, there’s a danger that the Gunners could miss out on his signature if they're caught on their heels in pursuit of his services. Given his precocious talent, there will be plenty of sides happy to shell out some cash to secure the Frenchman in January, and given their current dearth of defensive options, Arsenal should be at the front of the queue.

Especially when you consider that Rabiot has been left out of PSG’s Champions League squad, meaning he could potentially aid their European charge. French football writer Jonathan Johnson feels that his omission could expedite any potential move to another club featuring in Europe’s top tier competition:

After coming so close to agreeing a deal at the end of the summer window, you can bet that Roma will be back in for this classy midfielder in January. But Arsenal need to do their utmost to make an impression and bring him to the Emirates.

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Admittedly, he’s young and he may not be able to feature in the first team straight away, but he’s an identikit Arsenal footballer and one that would surely be able to learn plenty from the abrasive Mathieu Flamini and the silky Mikel Arteta, Wenger's current holding midfield choices.

Given the imminent expiration of his contract, Arsenal could potentially pick Rabiot for a seven-figure sum in the January window. That would represent extraordinary business for a potential world class player. If they don’t sign this time round, you can bet that the club will be linked with him in a couple of years time for a much more extortionate fee; it'd be a major opportunity missed.