Barcelona Give PSG Deadline for Adrien Rabiot Deal as Les Parisiens Hold Firm
Barcelona have given Paris Saint-Germain an ultimatum on the subject of their interest in Adrien Rabiot, with the Blaugrana prepared to walk away from the deal unless they can come to an agreement soon.
Unlike the Premier League, which closes its transfer window on the eve of the season this year (August 9), both the French and Spanish markets remain open until the end of August, meaning that teams in both countries still have over a month to thrash out any transfers.
However, Barcelona are not prepared to wait that long for Rabiot and despite being in advanced talks with the Frenchman, Mundo Deportivo claims that Barca will pursue other targets if PSG remain unmoved.
With Rabiot standing firm in his refusal to sign a new contract, the French champions may be tempted to sell for a fee this summer rather than seeing the 23-year-old leave on a free next year.
It seems to be a question of when, rather than if, Rabiot moves to the Nou Camp. The sale of Paulinho to Guangzhou Evergrande has freed up space in the midfield into which Rabiot would slot nicely.
However, Barcelona are very aware of how intransigent PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi can be. Attempts to sign Thiago Silva, Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria have been firmly rejected by the Qatari in past summers.
It is for this reason that Barca will turn their interest elsewhere if their attempts to sign Rabiot are unsuccessful.
Rabiot has been at PSG since the age of 15. He has made 6 appearances for France but is unlikely to appear again under Didier Deschamps following his exclusion from Les Bleus' World Cup-winning squad.