Barcelona have been handed some bad news, as it’s been reported that Manchester City are ‘very close’ to agreeing a deal to sign PSG and France midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
This is according to Don Balon, who note that the Premier League champions plan to make a substantia offer for Rabiot in the January transfer window, and that the midfielder would be happy to seal a move to the Etihad.
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The report also states that the 23-year-old Frenchman is a target for Pep Guardiola’s old side Barcelona, so this news from Don Balon will certainly not music to the club’s ears.
It’s hard to see why City would want Rabiot, as although the player is very good, they already have a whole host of options to pick from in the centre of the park.
The Citizens can choose from David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Phil Foden and Fabian Delph to command their midfield, and one would wonder how Rabiot would manage to find himself in a starting role with all this competition.
With Fernandinho now 33 years old, and with City not already having a suitable replacement for the Brazilian at the club, Guardiola should really be focusing on buying someone to replace the player, and not someone who may very well be made to sit on the bench like Rabiot.
Only time will tell if City actually manage to get a deal for Rabiot over the line, one that will deal a bitter blow to Barca’s hopes of signing the midfielder.