Tottenham Hotspur poised for one of summer's hottest free agents after contract stalemate
Adrien Rabiot still has not been able to come to terms with Juventus on a new contract and could be available on a free this summer
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United will be keeping a close eye on Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, whose future remains in doubt as he enters the final weeks of his contract in Turin.
La Gazzetta Dello Sport write that Juventus are expected to tear their squad apart to fund a comprehensive rebuild after another disappointing season that has once again seen them well off the pace in their bid to claim a first league title since making it nine in a row in 2020.
Exits are expected in all areas of the pitch, with Juve said to be particularly keen to find new homes for a fleet of players who will go out of contract next summer.
Others face more immediate uncertainty with their deals set to expire at the end of next month – including Rabiot, who was reported to be of interest to Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle earlier this year.
La Gazzetta suggest that Rabiot is one of a handful of players Juve may prefer to hang onto but who would need convincing the club have appropriate plans in place to match their ambitions, alongside Federico Chiesa.
That may open the door for a bidding war for Rabiot’s services. The French international midfielder has been at Juve since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, but would be available as a free agent this summer unless an agreement can be reached over a renewal.
Juventus are currently trying to cut their costs to a more sustainable level and have reportedly offered new deals to numerous players on reduced pay, including Wojciech Szczesny, Weston McKennie and Dusan Vlahovic.
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Former Arsenal stopper Szczesny and US international McKennie have reportedly rejected those offers, but Vlahovic remains in negotiations amid supposed transfer interest from the Gunners.
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Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.