SERIE A champions Juventus have insisted they continue to count on their midfield playmaker Adrien Rabiot despite rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League.
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After arriving in Turin last summer from Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman struggled to establish a consistent feature in Maurizio Sarri’s plans. This, naturally, led to the player reportedly being discontent from a lack of playing time, and in May, controversially refused to cut his wages in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
The rumour mill has since run deeper, with former PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti, said to be among the more interested parties with Everton. But after Rabiot’s early stutters at The Old Lady, Sarri has him as a regular draftee in his plans, which has seen him starting in victories over Bologna and Lecce since the coronavirus suspension of the league. Yet still, he has little assurance of a longer-term place in Turin.
Commenting on the player’s situation, the technical coordinator of the Serie A side, Fabio Paratici, said: “Let’s not forget that Rabiot is in his first year in Italy, and the first year is always special,” Paratici told Sky Sport Italia. “At the start of the season, we could see the same doubts over Matthijs de Ligt, who happened to be the best defender in the Champions League [with Ajax last season] at the age of 19. Now I see there is a different opinion of him.
Rabiot also arrived from PSG after six months of inactivity. He had to catch up with his physical condition. That said, he is a great player [and] someone who is very important for Juventus, today, and will be for the future,” Paratici added.
Juve, however, are closing in on the addition of another central midfield player, with Barcelona player Arthur reportedly agreeing to terms with the club while Miralem Pjanic, is said to be his corresponding replacement at Camp Nou in a noteworthy swap deal. Juve are closing in on a ninth successive domestic title following a 4-0 victory over Lecce on Friday, opening a seven-point gap over second-placed Lazio, who have a game in hand against Fiorentina on Saturday.
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