Arsenal Transfer News: Adrien Rabiot Would Consider Transfer Offers

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot has admitted he would consider offers to leave the Ligue 1 side, with Arsenal reportedly keeping tabs on the player.

Speaking to Europe 1 (h/t MailOnline's Adam Shergold), Rabiot said: "If there are offers from big clubs, that obviously demands that they are considered. Clubs like Real Madrid, they are truly great clubs but, truly, the most important thing is the present and I am concentrating on what I am doing right now, that is the best thing to do."

Shergold noted there have been rumours connecting Rabiot with the Gunners. Among them, Get French Football News (h/t Metro's Tom Olver) described how Arsenal's top French scout, former midfielder Gilles Grimandi, was in attendance for PSG's recent 0-0 draw with Toulouse in Ligue 1.

While Rabiot wasn't named as the player Grimandi was studying, the GFFN article did note how "Arsenal are said to be monitoring [Rabiot's] contract situation with PSG."

The Frenchman is worth keeping an eye on for the Gunners. He's a burgeoning star with the mix of technical quality and tenacity sure to appeal to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Rabiot is nominally a defensive midfielder for PSG. He often operates deep but is at his best when allowed to go and hunt possession.

The 21-year-old was outstanding in pressing and applying pressure to Barcelona during PSG's recent 4-0 win in the UEFA Champions League. He even robbed star forward Lionel Messi of the ball to start a break for one goal.

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In fact, Rabiot's destroyer act was so good, it prompted Evan Bartlett of The Independent to say he performed the role better than Barca's Sergio Busquets, who has been the model of a modern defensive midfielder for years:

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Niggly fouls, a cynical early challenge to let his opponent know he's around and constant recycling of the ball.

Those may all be attributes of Sergio Busquets at his best, but the man performing them with aplomb on Tuesday night was PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

He did little flashy, but the 21-year-old was the foundation with which PSG built their attacks, offering protection in midfield and allowing teammates like Di Maria and Draxler to do the damage.

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Rabiot clearly has the destructive tendencies Arsenal could use at the base of midfield. Wenger has struggled to find a player capable of consistently breaking up attacks from there this season.

Granit Xhaka is too reckless as a tackler, while Mohamed Elneny doesn't play with the physicality his frame would suggest he possesses. Meanwhile, Frenchman Francis Coquelin can tackle but lacks the discipline to maintain his position in front of the back four.

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However, a manager as progressive in playing style as Wenger normally insists on his midfielders being able to do more than just negate the opposition. Fortunately, Rabiot boasts the quality on the ball sure to suit the Gunners' stylish way of attacking teams.

The midfielder averages 57.3 passes per game and has a success rate of 90 percent, according to WhoScored.com. Rabiot is certainly a more accomplished passer than Coquelin and generally more forward-thinking with his distribution than Elneny.

Given how much Coquelin has struggled, along with the ongoing injury issues experienced by stylish schemer Santi Cazorla, tempting Rabiot away from the French capital would make perfect sense for the Gunners.

Together, Coquelin and Cazorla were a useful blend of steel and silk, but the latter's Achilles tendon problems mean Wenger will need to add a true playmaker to the ranks ahead of next season.

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Signing Rabiot would give Arsenal a midfielder who combines the best of what Coquelin and Cazorla offer in one player. Alongside Xhaka and Elneny, Rabiot would turn a suspect position into an obvious strength.