Another rumor has been generated in the atmosphere of European elite football. This time, the clubs involved are Paris Saint-German and FC Barcelona, teams that last season managed to win their domestic leagues but did not succeed in reaching decisive stages of the Champions League. And the main protagonist is midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who caught the media's attention prior to the 2018 World Cup by excluding himself from France's reserve list prepared by Didier Deschamps for the tournament.
Although a week ago, the French media L'Equipe had stated that there was no chance for Adrien Rabiot to leave PSG in this transfer period, various events that have occurred in recent days suggest otherwise. On the one hand, Thomas Tuchel, coach of the Parisian team, stated in a press conference that Rabiot "must decide if he adapts to our style or goes in search of new challenges," which implies that the door for his departure is not closed.
But why did Tuchel say that? According to French media, Adrien Rabiot does not like to play as a defensive midfielder; that is, in front of the central defenders. He prefers to play as a box-to-box midfielder, either on the left or right, as that way he has more influence on the attack and can showcase his attributes. However, in the defeat against Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup, Tuchel played him as a defensive midfielder, taking into account that detail.
Adrien Rabiot's contract with PSG expires in mid-2019 and the French club runs the risk of losing the player without winning anything if they do not reach an agreement to extend the contract. Barcelona is one of the main candidates to acquire his services, as they are in search of a replacement for Andrés Iniesta. Whether in this transfer window or the next one, the blaugrana team seems to be the next destination for the 23-year-old midfielder.
