Football stats experts WhoScored.com analyse a reported Premier League transfer target…
When Adrien Rabiot told French TV show Telefoot that he is angling for a short term move away from PSG “as a Christmas present”, it will have caught the attention of the Premier League’s north London pairing. Arsenal and Tottenham have each been linked with a move for the 20-year-old in the past, with the latter keen on bringing him to White Hart Lane at the turn of the year.
The emergence of Dele Alli and Eric Dier’s rise to the fore in the middle of the park has been the surprise of the season in what’s been a fine start for Spurs. Given the options available to Mauricio Pochettino, and the need for another striker, Rabiot is unlikely to be a priority for the club right now. For Arsenal, though, they could do a lot worse than pursue the 20-year-old. Rabiot has gained a WhoScored.com rating of 7.34 in Ligue 1 this season, an impressive return for a player who is not guaranteed a regular starting spot for his side.
Given the Gunners’ ongoing injury concerns – manager Arsene Wenger is without trio Mikel Arteta, Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla for the foreseeable future – the Frenchman is expected to dip into the transfer market next month in a bid to bolster the midfield. Rabiot’s recent admission would come as a blessing to Wenger, with the young star widely considered one of the finest in his position in his age group.
Unfortunately, the options available to PSG head coach Laurent Blanc mean Rabiot is not a guaranteed starter for the defending champions, even if he has made eight league starts this season. Nevertheless, when Blanc’s first choice midfielders are fully fit, Rabiot is usually the one to drop to the bench, despite his consistent performances in the middle of the park. His pass success rate (91%) is a hugely commendable return in France’s top tier this term, reinforcing his statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘passing’.
Comparatively, that return is bettered only by two Arsenal regulars on league duty this campaign, so Rabiot would indeed match the demands of Wenger. The young Frenchman would help ease the concern that came with Coquelin’s loss. Only Serge Aurier (4.2) is averaging more tackles per Ligue 1 match for PSG than Rabiot (3.4) this term. His compatriot has become a lynchpin in the Arsenal midfield, so his extended spell on the sidelines comes as a blow to the club, who will miss his combative approach.
However, Rabiot’s arrival would certainly ease the defensive responsibility thrust upon Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey, with the pairing expected to fill the void in the middle of the park over the festive period. The PSG starlet’s impressive ability to both win and recycle possession effectively would come as a boost to this Arsenal side pushing for the Premier League title.
PSG are yet to decide whether they will sanction such a move, however. Rabiot is a player who requires regular game time if he is to realise his immense potential and is playing relatively consistently for the Parisian side, even if that is as a result of key absences in midfield. Rabiot is just two starts short of matching his return of 10 in Ligue 1 from last season.
If the club are prepared to let him ply his trade elsewhere for the remainder of the campaign, though, Arsenal would be foolish not to pursue his signature next month. The Gunners’ midfield requires strengthening and Rabiot could be the perfect fit to improve the north London side in the middle of the park.
For more stats on Adrien Rabiot, click here to view his WhoScored.com player page