“Thanks for coming” - Journalist shares Barcelona’s emphatic stance after being offered French international
Barcelona were offered the chance to sign Juventus' French midfielder Adrien Rabiot. The Blaugrana, though, reportedly turned down the offer by thanking him for coming, as per journalist Gerard Romero.
Rabiot becomes a free agent on June 30 when his Juventus contract expires. He was a crucial player for the Old Lady in the recently concluded season. The Frenchman scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 48 games across competitions.
Romero reported:
“Barcelona responded to Rabiot’s offer by saying thanks for coming.”
🚨🚨| NEW: Adrien Rabiot was offered to Barcelona but “Barcelona responded to Rabiot’s offer by saying thanks for coming” [@gerardromero] https://t.co/4KytmtyVjX
Rabiot joined Juve in 2019. He has made 177 appearances for the club, scoring 17 times and assisting 12. The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was in good form during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as France finished runner-ups.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are expected to look to reinforce their midfield in the summer. Sergio Busquets will leave as a free agent, while Franck Kessie's situation looks complicated, too.
While Barca are keen to sign new players, Ilkay Gundogan and Martin Zubimendi are among their primary targets. They were not interested in Rabiot despite having the option to sign the 28-year-old on a free transfer.
Bayern Munich president blasted Barcelona for role in Joshua Kimmich saga
Another midfielder Barca are interested in signing in the summer is Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich. The Germany international is one of the finest players in modern football in his position.
Kimmich, a versatile player, has attracted the attention of the Blaugrana. However, Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer recently blasted the club and their manager Xavi for how they have handled a potential pursuit of Kimmich. Hainer told Sky Germany:
“First of all, Xavi was an excellent player, and I have big respect for Barca. But I don’t understand why they’re openly and offensively ‘flirting’ with our player.
"Joshua Kimmich is an absolute cornerstone for us. Joshua is a leader, has won many titles with us and will also continue to win titles with us in the future. He’s firmly in our plans for the future and one of the players to build the team around.”
Joshua Kimmich has been a stalwart for Bayern recently, so Barca's interest in a player of his caliber shouldn't come as a surprise. However, Bavarian officials are clearly unhappy with the way Barca have handled their interest in Kimmich.