Arsenal have reportedly jumped ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Adrien Rabiot as Fabrizio Romano confirms the Gunners are ‘really, really close’ to their third summer signing.
Mikel Arteta has already added Riccardo Califiori to his ranks in a £42m move from Bologna while David Raya’s move from Brentford was made permanent.
Reports suggest they’re also keen on signing a striker this summer with Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres at the top of their shortlist, but the midfield is a priority and it’s claimed they’re now in the mix for Rabiot, who is available on a free transfer.
In a post on Instagram this week, Rabiot confirmed that he is leaving Juventus.
‘After five seasons at Juventus, five years in Turin, I want to say goodbye and thank you,’ the midfielder wrote.
‘All of you who have been there for me. The club and all its staff. And you fans, always close and very affectionate!’
Rabiot is represented by his mother, Veronique, and she claims that her son is attracting interest from more than one side.
“It’s true, I’m talking to some clubs,” Veronique Rabiot told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“And I’m the only contact. In fact, I am talking to certain clubs but then some media attribute to me contacts with other teams that I do not speak to. So I suppose that other people speak for me.
“But since the beginning of Adrien’s career I have been the only interlocutor with the clubs, and if a club has any interest they must speak directly to me.”
Whether Arsenal have spoken to Veronique isn’t clear but the same outlet claims Arsenal are one of three frontrunners, along with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, in the race to sign the midfielder.
A report earlier this week had claimed United were at the front of the queue but it’s now thought the Gunners are his most likely Premier League suitors.
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That’s despite them reportedly being ‘really close’ to signing another midfielder, Mikel Merino, from Real Sociedad.
The La Liga club’s president Jokin Aperribay recently claimed that they were determined to keep Merino.
“We are aware that Merino has offers, and we know them,” Aperribay said.
“The conversation with him and those around him has been very sincere and hopefully his decision is to stay, he already knows that we want him to stay.
“He has had a renewal offer for some time. And if not, we will try to negotiate the best way out for Real.
“Whether [it is his release] clause or not, what we think is that the club has to look to the future. Try to be stronger every year or every day.
“You don’t have to hide behind a contract when a player tells you that he wants to take advantage of an opportunity. Daily work makes us stronger.”
But transfer expert Romano claimed on Friday that the Gunners are ‘really, really close’ to securing his transfer to the Emirates.
He wrote in his Daily Briefing: “Let me say that Arsenal are really closing in on the deal for Mikel Merino and let me clarify that the package is going to be something around €30m.
We’ll understand the structure of the deal in the next days, but the agreement between Arsenal and Real Sociedad is really, really close. Everything is proceeding to the final stages.”