Reported Everton target Adrien Rabiot has earned the respect of France captain Hugo Lloris after his fine performance in the 1-0 UEFA Nations League victory over Portugal last week, hailing his new-found maturity in conversation with Maxifoot.
‘Maturity’ is often the key word when it comes to Rabiot.
Two years ago, the then-Paris Saint Germain powerhouse was forced to watch France conquer the world from the comfort of his own sofa.
Rabiot was bombed out of Didier Deschamps’ plans after refusing a place on the stand-by list (BBC).
But since swapping Paris for Turin, one of Europe’s most complete midfielders has let his football do the talking with his increasingly impressive displays at the heart of Juve’s new-look engine room regaining the trust of the famously stubborn Deschamps.
Rabiot won only his eighth France cap against Portugal on Saturday and marked the occasion with his finest international display yet, setting up N’Golo Kante’s winner in the second half.
“Adri has always had the potential, this is nothing new,” says Tottenham goalkeeper and France skipper Lloris.
“Since signing for Juventus, you can see a player who has matured even more.
“He performs very well, as evidenced by his match against Portugal. He fits perfectly into the team. It’s nice to see him flourish within the team.”
Arsenal were in talks to bring an end to Rabiot’s time at the Serie A champions earlier this year, according to Le10 Sport, after the controversy-courting dynamo was transfer listed by Juventus.
Since Andrea Pirlo replaced Maurizio Sarri at the helm, however, the 25-year-old appears to have salvaged his Juve career, making a January move to the Premier League appear unlikely.
Calciomercato reported a few weeks ago that Everton were keen on a £25 million man who was handed his debut eight years ago by none other than Carlo Ancelotti.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
