Barcelona have reportedly reignited their interest in Adrien Rabiot, with Ernesto Valverde eager to bolster his midfield options this summer.

According to a report by Spanish publication Don Balon, Adrien Rabiot is once again the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Blaugrana fancy their chances of snapping up the French midfielder, who has less than a year left in his contract with PSG.

Rabiot broke into the PSG first-team setup in 2012 as a 17-year-old. But, the player truly enjoyed his breakthrough campaign at Parc des Princes after a short-term loan spell at Toulouse in 2013. Over the last five years, the only way has been up for Rabiot.

In fact, despite being 23, Rabiot is already one of the most experienced players at PSG, with 207 outings under his belt. But, his future in the French capital seems to be uncertain, with less than one year left on his current deal with Les Parisiens. With no developments over a renewal, one club that have followed him for a long time are back in the hunt for the Frenchman – Barcelona.

Barcelona were in the market for Rabiot last summer as well before they ended up signing Paulinho. Now, with the Brazilian returning to China, there is an urgent need for midfield reinforcements at Camp Nou, and for good reason.

Sprinting towards a Barcelona move? (Photo courtesy - Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Sprinting towards a Barcelona move? (Photo courtesy – Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Paulinho hasn’t been the only departure from Barcelona this summer, with Andres Iniesta also calling it quits at the end of the 2017-18 season. Furthermore, the futures of Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes are uncertain, while Ivan Rakitic has also been linked with a move away from Camp Nou.

And so, the arrival of Arthur is unlikely to mitigate the midfield problems that Ernesto Valverde has on his hands. Rabiot is thus, a viable target for Barcelona, who could be a long-term solution in midfield with him, Arthur and Philippe Coutinho in tow.

The report claims that Barcelona’s director of football, Pep Segura, and technical secretary, Eric Abidal are in Paris to “lay the foundations of negotiations with PSG”. While the duo aim to step up their efforts in the coming days, several reports have even suggested that Barcelona have agreed personal terms with Rabiot.

The big stumbling block for Barcelona in the player’s pursuit though, is the frosty relationship they share with PSG since Neymar’s move to Parc des Princes last summer. Persuading PSG to sell one of their most highly regarded players could thus, be a tall order for the Catalans.

However, PSG aren’t in a strong position either, with Rabiot’s contract in its last year now, and the player reportedly unwilling to sign a renewal. This makes for an interesting transfer saga. But, Barcelona ought to keep their options open, with PSG likely to play hardball in negotiations over the coming days.

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