Report: Everton set to firm up interest in Juventus midfielder Rabiot
Everton are preparing to firm up their interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer with a concrete proposal, according to Tuttosport.
The Toffees have been frequently linked with a move for the France international over the past 12 months, with Carlo Ancelotti said to be a personal fan.
France Football (via GFFN) reported last month that Ancelotti was determined to land the midfielder, telling Everton to be willing to pay up to £25.6million (€30million) to bring him to Merseyside.
Now Italian newspaper Tuttosport claim that Everton are beginning to put together a ‘concrete’ proposal as they look to beat Manchester City to Rabiot’s signature.
Ancelotti hopes his prior relationship with Rabiot will give him the edge in negotiations, with the Italian coach having handed a 17-year old Rabiot his debut for Paris Saint-Germain.
It is believed that Ancelotti is keen on bringing “two or three” major signings to Goodison Park this summer, and it seems as though Rabiot’s name is high on his list of targets.
Where there’s smoke…
Since leaving PSG for Juventus, Rabiot has enjoyed varied success.
This season he has found himself to be a much more reliant player, having featured regularly for the defending Serie A champions.
In previous years Everton might have stood more of a chance at landing the Frenchman, but given his frequency in the starting line-up for Juventus that now appears a bit more difficult.
However, fire usually follows smoke, and we’ve seen plenty of smoke over the past few months.
Similar to last January where Allan was repeatedly being linked with Everton by the Italian media, there is likely some degree of truth to the reporting, although that doesn’t necessarily mean Everton stand any chance at landing him.
Rabiot has played both as a central midfielder and a holding midfielder this season [Transfermarkt], with that versatility likely to endear him to Ancelotti further, while he has also contributed to Juventus’ cause with two goals in Serie A.
Everton need to bolster their squad with numbers and with genuine talent and bringing someone like Rabiot to Goodison Park would tick both of those boxes.
It remains to be seen how much Juventus value Rabiot, but it wouldn’t surprise us if Everton continue to press ahead with their interest in the midfielder.
In other Everton news, Dutch legend Ruud Guillt blames Everton for not getting the most out of Davy Klaassen.