Adrien rabiot
As the Liverpool Echo puts it down, the Reds have no interest in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot in January. The Express reported a couple of days back that the Frenchman was linked with a move to Anfield and Jurgen Klopp had held personal talks with the player’s agent. However, the latest reports have denied any sort of communication between the player and the club (h/t Liverpool Echo).
Klopp strengthened his midfield in the summer transfer window by signing the likes of Fabinho and Naby Keita. While the Guinean has already hit the ground running and has emerged as a regular starter for the Reds, Fabinho is yet to make his debut. Adam Lallana is expected to be back from his injury within a month and Liverpool already have plenty of options in the midfield.
James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Keita are all capable of playing down the centre of the park, meaning the Reds can definitely do without Rabiot in January.
On the other hand, Rabiot has less than a year remaining on his current contract, making it the perfect time for elite Premier League clubs to grab one of the most promising talents in European football.
Here are two English top-flight clubs Rabiot could still join.
The Sky Blues already have a formidable team but Pep Guardiola must add new players to increase his squad depth. Manchester City are loaded with options in the attacking and defensive areas of the pitch but they do not have too many options in central midfield.
Of course, they have Fernandinho, who has shouldered the responsibility of patrolling City’s central midfield for quite some time now. However, the Brazilian is already 33 and is unlikely to continue as the first-choice for Guardiola in the seasons to come. Moreover, he hasn’t been at his best this season and has failed to cut out opposition attacks from the midfield at times.
Both Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan are solid central midfielders but they do not contribute much to the attack. In other words, they lack the versatility and dynamism that someone like Rabiot could bring into the side. The Frenchman has the ability to play an attacking role in the central midfield and can also drop deeper to play as a sweeper for the backline. Furthermore, his tackling and interceptions should add solidity to the midfield.
The 23-year-old has a good range of passing and a keen eye for picking out his teammates’ runs up front. He should be the perfect addition to City’s midfield, alongside the likes of David Silva, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling. In fact, he could prove to be the ideal feeder for Sergio Aguero with his remarkable vision.
According to The Express, Tottenham midfielder, Mousa Dembele is finding it difficult to cope with the demanding nature of the Premier League and Mauricio Pochettino’s hectic training sessions. The 31-year-old Belgian is in the final year of his current contract and is unlikely to sign a new contract (h/t The Express).
To be honest, Dembele has struggled with his fitness throughout his career and he hasn’t been particularly impressive in the ongoing season as well. He has been poor with his work rate and seems to run out of steam in the latter stages of the game. For example, in the game against Watford, he let the team down with his sloppy passing at times.
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On the other hand, Adrien Rabiot has already made over 200 appearances for PSG, since making his debut in 2012. Despite being 23, he has a lot of experience under his belt. His ability to play as a holding midfielder, a box-to-box defensive midfielder and a deep-lying playmaker makes him the perfect replacement for Mousa Dembele.