What’s the story?
Xavi has tipped Adrien Rabiot to replace Andrés Iniesta at Barcelona. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has caught the eye on the legendary midfielder, and he's got high praises for him.
“Rabiot could play for Barcelona; he would adapt to Barcelona without any problems. He knows how to organise play, can defend, dribble and attack. In short, he is a very complete player. He is great both with and without the ball." said the Barcelona legend.
In case you didn’t know...
Andrés Iniesta has decided to leave Barcelona when his contract expires at the end of next season according to reports in Spain. The Spaniard is reportedly eyeing a move to the middle-east or the United States of America as he does not wish to retire.
Iniesta, who turns 33 this month, in entering his final year of his contract at Barcelona. The midfield maestro was in talks with the club for a new contract, and the board was confident of agreeing on a deal soon. However, the Spaniard has halted all negotiations and has decided to leave the club.
The heart of the matter
Xavi believes Adrien Rabiot has what it takes to play for Barcelona and has indirectly asked the Catalan giants to sign him. He has also hinted at the French midfielder being Iniesta's long-term replacement.
The 22-year-old is a key figure at Paris Saint-Germain. He's been in on top of his form ever since he broke into the first team in 2012-13. Despite making his debut 3.5 seasons, ago, he has already made over 150 appearances in all competitions for PSG.
Barcelona are on the hunt for an Iniesta replacement, and it looks like they will be making a move for the PSG star. Iniesta wants the club to sign him long-term replacement this summer so that he can be phased out easily.
What’s next?
Paris Saint-Germain were expecting bids for Marco Verratti this summer, but it looks like they will be getting bids for Rabiot as well. Losing both the midfielders in the same transfer window would be a terrible thing for the French side, and they might end up selling the midfielder who fetches the bigger price.
Author’s Take
Rabiot is a brilliant midfielder, but in my opinion, Verratti is better than him. But then again, it's Xavi who's praising him big time, and it takes one legend to identify another.
