Aston Villa make approach to seal Adrien Rabiot transfer after Marseille chaos
Aston Villa have made a proposal to Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with the Frenchman set to leave the Ligue 1 club.
Unai Emery is in the market for a new central midfielder after Boubacar Kamara was forced off with an injury against Brentford.
Aston Villa lost 1-0 to Brentford over the weekend amid a difficult start to the Premier League season, with Emery coming under increasing pressure to change his system.
Villa have already lost one midfielder this summer, after Jacob Ramsey joined Newcastle in a move worth around £40million.
Aston Villa decision-makers are also reportedly weighing up a move for Lucas Paqueta, who is open to leaving West Ham after beating the FA’s betting charges.
Villa make proposal for Adrien Rabiot
Before Marseille’s first game of the Ligue 1 season, Rabiot looked set to continue in a key role for Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
The midfielder enjoyed a superb campaign under the Argentine last season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in the league as the French side finished second.
But the events that followed Marseille’s opening day loss to Stade Rennais have seen the 30-year-old transfer-listed and set to depart.
After a frustrating game, Rabiot and England under-21 national Jonathan Rowe entered an altercation, with the Frenchman reportedly striking the forward in the face.
Marseille released a statement thereafter, announcing that both players had been placed on the transfer list amid “unacceptable behaviour”.
Rowe has since left to join Bologna, with Rabiot set to follow him out the door before the end of the transfer window.
L’Equipe reported on 24 August that Aston Villa are among the teams to make a proposal for the France international, who won the Nations League in 2021.
Adrien Rabiot could partner well with Youri Tielemans
On the face of it, Rabiot could be an ideal partner for Youri Tielemans, with Kamara set for a period on the sidelines.
The 30-year-old is more prone to carrying the ball, whereas the Belgian prefers to receive and pass on.
The pair could sit in a double-pivot for Emery, with Tielemans sitting slightly deeper to feed Rabiot in between the lines, pushing Villa forward.
The midfielder’s arrival could also be good news for Morgan Rogers, who would have another runner to take attention away from his own movement.
Let’s hope the chaos stays in France should this happen, though.
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