Arsenal Handed Major Boost in Efforts to Bring Adrian Rabiot to the Emirates

Arsenal have been handed a major breakthrough in their efforts to sign Adrian Rabiot, with Barcelona reportedly pulling out of the race for the French

Arsenal have been handed a major breakthrough in their efforts to sign Adrian Rabiot, with Barcelona reportedly pulling out of the race for the French midfielder's signature. 

Rabiot has featured only 14 times this season for PSG in League 1 and has not made an appearance for the club since December 11th after talks heated up about his departure. Rabiot and PSG have not been able to come to terms on a new contract and are currently in a stand-off, with the current deal set to expire at the end of the season. Rabiot has been linked with moves to Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool in the Premier League. 

📰 [MD] | Barcelona have withdrawn from signing Rabiot in the summer.

De Jong's arrival, Arthur performances, Aleñá's integration into the first team and Riqui Puig's potential all played a role in this decision pic.twitter.com/oiDP4BPwI7

— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) February 23, 2019

Barcelona have been tracking Rabiot's current situation for months now, but according to The Sun, have pulled out of the race to sign the 23-year-old after growing tired of waiting for an answer. Rabiot had previously left Barcelona without a decision, deciding he would like to assess all of his options. 

Barca had initially offered Rabiot an £8.7m signing bonus in addition to a salary of £167,000-a-week, but the midfielder would not commit his future to the Camp Nou. 

With Barcelona no longer interested, Rabiot's most likely destination is in the Premier League. While many top clubs are eyeing his signature, reports claim that Arsenal are leading the race for the dynamic midfielder. Rabiot previously played under Gunners manager Unai Emery at PSG, so a reunion is potentially in the cards. 

AFP Contributor/GettyImages

Arsenal will be keen on adding a dynamic playmaker to their midfield corps with Aaron Ramsey set to depart for Juventus in the summer and reports linking Matteo Guendouzi with a big money move to PSG. Rabiot has the ability to step into the Gunners' squad and play anywhere in the centre of the park with his passing ability much stronger than Guendouzi's.