Chelsea in pole position to sign 27-year-old Juventus star - Reports
Astamfordbridgetoofar have reported via Italian outlet Corriere Dello Sport (h/t Football.London) that Chelsea are leading the race to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The Frenchman has one year left on his current contract at Turin and might be open to leaving the club this summer. He made a slow start to last season but picked up the pace in the second half of the campaign.
Rabiot ended the season with 45 appearances, making two assists. He was primarily used in central midfield but made some appearances on the left flank as well.
The Frenchman has kept the option open for a return to Paris Saint-Germain, with Newcastle United also reportedly interested in his services. However, it is Chelsea who are believed to be leading the race for the Nations League winner.
The Blues have two ageing midfielders in Jorginho(30) and N'Golo Kante (31). They will need replacing sooner rather than later, and Rabiot (27) could be a smart buy for Thomas Tuchel.
He is expected to cost only €15 million, making him an alluring target.
Should Chelsea sign Adrien Rabiot?
The Blues have a huge summer ahead of them. After confirming the takeover of the new owners, they now have to work hard to fix the team that has seemingly fallen off the wagon.
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They have also lost two important centre-backs in Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers. Their leading centre-back is a 37-year-old Brazilian, Thiago Silva, who will turn 38 in less than four months.
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Their forwards are failing to fire, with Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea's club-record signing) once again tipped to leave the club this summer.
They need reinforcements all over the park, with Kante and Jorginho now both on the wrong side of 30.
It points to the fact that the Blues could be in for a summer of heavy investing and would do well to get some cheap signings over the line - like that of Rabiot.
At 27, he is likely to prove to be a good squad player at a meagre cost to the club.