Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is eager to strike a loan deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot once the January transfer window opens.
The Gunners' midfield has been one of the weakest areas of the side. With Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos out injured since early November, Arsenal have lacked creativity, while their lack of defensive stability has also left fans wanting more.
To try and address those issues, The Times claim that Arteta would like to recruit Rabiot in January, and they are hopeful that they will be able to convince Juventus to let him go on a temporary basis.
The Frenchman has started just five league games this season after joining on a free transfer in the summer. Injuries and a lack of form have not helped, but manager Maurizio Sarri has also preferred other options for the majority of the campaign so far, leaving Rabiot forced to accept brief cameos at the end of games.
Capable of operating as both a playmaker and a defensive midfielder, Arteta seemingly sees Rabiot as an ideal solution for his side's midfield woes, but Juventus are not overly keen on letting him go.
Instead, Juventus would prefer to part ways with German midfielder Emre Can, who is even lower than Rabiot in the pecking order at the Allianz Stadium, but there is no mention of whether Arsenal would actually want Can.
Arteta is still expected to pursue Rabiot anyway, and that decision has been made even with the boss' insistence that he is looking forward to working with Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The former captain was tipped to leave under former manager Unai Emery, but Arteta appears to have given Xhaka a chance to redeem himself at the Emirates Stadium.
However, by pursuing Rabiot, it seems as though Arteta feels like Arsenal still need more reinforcements if they are to fight their way back up the Premier League table.
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Source : 90min