Arsenal have been credited with an interest in a current French international midfielder who shone at the recent World Cup in Qatar…

What’s the News?

That’s according to Italian journalist Niccolò Ceccarini, who wrote in his column for TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness) that both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Adrien Rabiot in January.

He then claimed that Spurs are ‘moving decisively’ for Rabiot, while Arsenal are ‘also pressing’ for the midfielder's signature as he has no intentions of renewing his contract at Juventus.

Mikel Arteta first became interested in the player last month, however as the transfer window looms into focus, the onus is now on firmly making a move for Rabiot.

He’d be key for Arteta

The Frenchman was one of Didier Deschamps’ key performers at the World Cup, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst even describing him as a “cracking midfielder” following his performance against Australia and it's certain he could add something different to the Arsenal midfield.

The 27-year-old played in six matches as France reached their second consecutive World Cup final, chipping in with a goal and an assist while creating a further big chance and making 0.5 key passes per match.

His displays in the Middle East perhaps shouldn’t have come as a major surprise considering his form in Serie A leading up to the tournament.

Across 11 league matches for Juventus, this term, the £152k-per-week star averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.29 while registering five goal contributions – three goals and two assists – along with playing 0.9 key passes per match.

His defensive qualities were also on show, with the player making 1.1 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 0.6 clearances per game, while also winning 55% of his total duels, proving that he can be just as effective in helping the defence as he can when the side are on the attack.

These qualities would be an excellent fit for Arteta’s side, and it could allow Martin Odegaard to push even further forward, knowing Rabiot would be effective at cleaning up behind him.

January could be the most important month in the club's recent history, if Arteta manages to negotiate it with ease by winning all their matches while securing a few signings, it could well be Arsenal’s year.