Arsenal are eyeing a swoop for a midfielder who has begun the World Cup in excellent fashion…

What’s the news?

The North London side are eying a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot according to Calciomercato as they join the race for the Frenchman, with fellow Premier League side Chelsea also keen on adding him to their squad.

His contract expires at the end of the season and he has played 16 times this term, however, the Serie A side want him off the wage bill to free up room for other signings.

Mikel Arteta could force the Italian side's hand and offer a low fee in the hope it will get accepted so he can join ahead of what will be a crucial second half of the season for Arsenal.

Ideal Danilo alternative

Arteta has been an admirer of the Brazilian midfielder Danilo since the summer, having a bid of €25m (£21m) turned down on deadline day according to journalist Jorge Nicola (via Sport Witness) as Palmeiras slapped a price tag of €35m (£30m) on the player.

It remains to be seen whether or not Arsenal will improve their offer for Danilo, however, Rabiot might be a cheaper alternative, with Juventus unlikely to demand £30m for a player who is out of contract in the summer.

The £148k-per-week midfielder has returned to some form this season, particularly in Serie A, where he has received a SofaScore rating of 7.29/10 while chipping in with five-goal contributions (three goals and two assists).

The 27-year-old was called up for the French World Cup squad and he started in their opening match against Australia, shining in a 4-1 victory.

SofaScore ranked him second in the French side with his rating of 8.5/10 and the midfielder contributed by scoring, providing an assist, and making one key pass throughout the match.

Rabiot completed 90% of his attempted passes while taking 80 touches of the ball, refusing to panic when France conceded an early goal and his energy and work rate allowed them to eventually blow away Australia.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst once described him as a “cracking midfielder”, whilst he was also dubbed “the world's best midfielder” by Scott Saunders following his display against the Aussies and Arteta would be signing a player who has the ability to excel at the highest level.

Danilo might be an excellent talent for the future, and Arteta may revisit this move in the summer, but the experience of Rabiot – who has won seven league titles in his career – might be pivotal as Arsenal chase their first title since 2003/2004.