After Adrien Rabiot informed Paris Saint-Germain that he won’t sign a contract extension at the Parc des Princes, the midfielder’s links to Barcelona have only intensified.
The 23-year-old is a free agent next summer and the La Liga winners have long been after his signature.
The front page of Mundo Deportivo has a headline ‘Adrien, almost done’ after Le Parisien reported the Frenchman has an agreement with the Blaugrana for a transfer.
Sources close to the Camp Nou have informed the Catalan newspaper that there is no agreement with the PSG contract rebel, but they’ve left the ‘door open’ for him to make a switch to Spain.
Ernesto Valverde’s side’s plan is not to sign Rabiot in January because their focus is to bring in a defender in the winter market, which is why they are looking at the possibility of incorporating him next summer.
Barcelona technical secretary Eric Abidal has met the player’s mother, who is also his agent, on several occasions and the negotiations have not been easy.
It’s claimed the Spanish league leaders are satisfied with Rabiot’s desire to join them and he has expressed it by ‘words’ and his ‘acts’.
Mundo also mentions PSG are planning to threaten the midfielder that he will be on the bench until the end of the season if he does not accept a move away from the club next month.
It is unlikely to have any impact as his desire is to play for Barcelona, but the club are being cautious with their approach for Rabiot after the disappointment they had in their efforts to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid.
If Rabiot finally ends up at the Camp Nou on a free transfer next summer, then Barca will have to offer him a signing on bonus, which should be around €10m.
