Transfer News: Chelsea to battle Newcastle United for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot
According to Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t The Sun), Chelsea have registered an interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, but are set to face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle United.
Despite not finding the back of the net all season long, Rabiot has been a regular for Juventus. He has run the midfield for Max Allegri’s side this term, playing alongside Arthur in the middle of the park. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he was not able to guide his team to silverware this campaign.
However, his performances for the Bianconeri have seen him catch the attention of Chelsea, who are keen to bolster their midfield in the summer after finishing third in the Premier League table. They have only been able to lift the FIFA Club World Cup this season, and manager Thomas Tuchel will be keen to improve their current situation.
In good news for Tuchel, he will see his side be able to sign new players in the upcoming transfer market after the Blues received approval from the government and the league regarding their impending takeover. This means that the sanctions placed on them barring them from any transfer activity have now been lifted.
Midfield reinforcements in the summer
Midfield is an area that the German boss will be keen to solidify, with current stars N’Golo Kante and Jorginho seeing their Chelsea deals run out next year. Given this, the Stamford Bridge outfit have eyed Rabiot as a potential target, with the London side looking to seal a cut-price fee for the 27-year-old.
The defending European champions are said to be willing to make an offer of up to £17m for the France international. Like Kante and Jorginho, the Juve star is also out of contract at the end of next season. However, Chelsea’s attempts to seal a transfer for the Serie A player could see them battle Newcastle in the summer.
Newcastle were taken over by mega-rich Saudi Arabian owners earlier this season, seeing the Magpies get a massive influx of cash to spend on the squad. Their excellent business activity in the winter transfer window saw the Tyneside club escape relegation and finish in 11th place in the league table.
Eddie Howe managed to complete the signings of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimarães, and Matt Targett in January in order to bolster his team, and they all turned out to be instant successes. The club will now look to repeat the same trick in the summer and further improve their league position in the upcoming campaign.
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The Magpies have money to splash on new players, which could provide a blow to Chelsea. After all, the London side are yet to finish their takeover by the Todd Boehly consortium, so it remains to be seen how much budget the new owners provide for transfer activity.
Only time will tell if Rabiot will end up at Stamford Bridge or not, but if he does, he could prove to be a brilliant addition. At 27, he is about to enter the prime years of his playing career, and the Blues could take advantage of this position in order to win more silverware in the coming years.
