The young midfielder is on the verge of joining Roma, but he has already caused huge controversy in his short career after being frozen out at PSG
Following a drawn-out saga that has lasted since the summer, Adrien Rabiot’s move from Paris Saint-Germain to Roma seems a formality. The only question is whether the transfer goes through in January or July.Rabiot, out of contract next summer, will go to the Stadio Olimpico as one of French football’s great hopes - yet he will depart his home nation with his reputation tarnished and with much to prove.
For a 19-year-old, he is a remarkably complete player, yet his ability is matched by his ego. It is this attitude that has left him a virtual outcast at PSG, where he has not even appeared in the first-team squad this season.
The situation is reminiscent of Paul Pogba’s at Manchester United.
“Manchester United is a big club but you have to think about yourself,” Pogba told the BBC in June, claiming he was shown a lack of “respect” by former boss Alex Ferguson.
“You have to play. The coach told me there would be space to play, but I wasn't playing.”
When the Juventus star levered his way out of Old Trafford, he was but a precocious teenager with seven senior appearances under his belt.
Player Profile — Adrien Rabiot
NameAdrien RabiotDate of Birth03-04-1995 (19 yo)PositionMidfielderSquad Number25Height6'2" (1.88m)Weight157lbs (71kg)Rabiot is also 19 and appears to share similar gripes to his fellow central midfielder.
“He needs to play regularly in high-level matches,” his notoriously pushy mother Veronique, who acts as his agent, told Le Parisien in July. “Since February he has only started five times in the league and once in the Champions League.
“He cannot afford to spend a season on the bench. At his age, if you do not progress, you regress. His goal is to join the France team at Euro 2016.”
Unlike Pogba at Manchester United, though, Rabiot had been receiving opportunities in PSG’s first team before a cold war began. In the two campaigns prior to this, the locally-born player had featured in over 56 senior games, including six in the Champions League and 13 on loan at Toulouse.
Kingsley Coman, who moved to Juventus in the summer, complained that PSG "ignore" their youngsters, but the evidence is that this was not the case with Rabiot. Indeed, with the Ligue 1 champions seeking to legitimise their youth setup, they have twice offered him a new deal only to be flatly rebuffed.
The addition of Yohan Cabaye to Laurent Blanc’s roster last January has certainly complicated matters a little for the youngster, though in an interview with Canal+ he insisted that he did not “fear” competition. And, as he pointed out, Roma also boast a plethora of outstanding players in the midfield area.
Giallorossi coach Rudi Garcia is a self-confessed fan and admitted on Sunday to Canal+ that the player “interests” him. However, it is difficult to imagine that the Frenchman could make the instant impact that Pogba did at Juventus.
Rabiot is nothing if not adaptable. Already in his fledgling career he has made multiple moves, including a brief stay at Manchester City as a 13-year-old.
His mother, though, remains the overriding influence on his career.
Several years ago Madame Rabiot contacted Jean-Michel Larque, a legendary figure in France for his exploits at Saint-Etienne, for some advice regarding her son's future. Speaking to RMC, Larque said: “If she called me back, I’d tell her to do the exact opposite of what she thought she should do.”
Such inglorious testimonies are not hard to come by.
Perhaps it is natural, given that Rabiot’s father Michel suffers from Locked-in syndrome - a rare condition which means he can only move his eyes and eyelids - for his mother to be so overbearing and protective. Yet the widely-held perception is that she is poisoning what promises to be a successful career.
On the field, the drama of the last six months will undoubtedly have had an effect. Fourth division football with the reserves is no substitute for playing at the top level, even if Rabiot insisted to RMC in a rather passive-aggressive interview that it is “no punishment” for him.
His next move is, therefore, crucial.
Roma certainly represents an opportunity for the young Frenchman, but the challenges he would face appear to be similar to the ones already present in Paris – plus the additional burden of a language barrier.
Garcia’s side is replete with classy performers in the centre of the field - Miralem Pjanic, Daniele De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan, Alessandro Florenzi, Seydou Keita - as well as another highly-rated youngster who currently can't get a kick in Leandro Paredes.
And that is without mentioning the recovering Kevin Strootman. Should Rabiot arrive, though, it would leave a question mark hanging over the future of the Dutchman, who is being followed by Manchester United.
Rabiot, again like Pogba, has the potential to be a success at virtually any side in Europe. His build is remarkably similar; standing at comfortably over six feet, he has the physique of a player several years older.
Unlike his compatriot at Juventus, however, he has not displayed a flashy attacking edge to his game and typically operates in a somewhat more withdrawn role.
Nevertheless, talent will not be the defining factor that makes or breaks the career of the teenage Frenchman. That will be all down to attitude.
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