Liverpool manager Arne Slot is reportedly giving serious thought to a move for free agent midfielder Adrien Rabiot after a club icon listed the qualities that will entice the Reds into making a move.
A new era is underway at Anfield with the official first game of the Slot era now just a month away with a match against Premier League new boys Ipswich at Portman Road on Saturday August 17. The Dutchman will use the intervening weeks to fine-tune his squad and impress his ideas on his players as they build up to that encounter.
Indeed, Slot will be expected to hit the ground running as he steps into the sizeable shoes vacated by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
In the meantime, and with the the transfer window open for business, Slot will look to make a few key additions to strengthen his options and having held talks with sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO of football Michael Edwards about what they need this summer.
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To that end, TEAMtalk understands that Slot has indicated his wish to sign a new left-sided centre-half, a deep-lying midfielder to properly replace Fabinho and potentially a new attacker amid ongoing speculation over the future of Luis Diaz.
A new goalkeeper will also likely be required with the Reds needing to replace the departed Adrian and potentially too, Caiomhin Kelleher, should the deputy stopper be granted his wish to secure a move elsewhere.
Slot was giving little away in his first press conference over potential targets, stressing work begins first at Kirkby.
“We will, in the end, find the right players that we feel comfortable with… The first step is on the training pitch,” Slot said.
Slot desperate to sign new holding midfielder for Liverpool
One of his immediate priorities though is understood to be a new No 6 to properly replace Fabinho, who departed last summer.
The gap vacated by the Brazilian was immediately filled by Japan player Wataru Endo, though at just £16.2m, he was never seen as a long-term fix.
And while the Reds started the season with another summer signing, Alexis Mac Allister, at the base of midfielder – an experiment which soon ended when Klopp realised his best work was done further forward – Endo was soon given his chance.
However, even the Japanese star himself admits he would welcome the Reds signing his long-term replacement, hinting he would relish the competition and that strength in depth is to be expected at a club like Liverpool.
Endo said: “I don’t care about those reports, but I also think it would be better to get the number six midfielder.
“I think there is a possibility that they are viewing a number 10 player [Alexis] Mac Allister as a number six/anchor, but at the moment there aren’t many number six players to begin with.”
And while highly-rated youngster Stefan Bajectic is expected to push for starts once again, Slot is said to have looked at a number of other options, including the likes of Manchester United targets Joao Neves and Manuel Ugarte.
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However, reports in France claim the Reds are very much also looking at France star Rabiot, who made history this summer when he became the first player to appear in the knockout stages of a European Championship as an ‘unattached player’.
Liverpool transfers: Rabiot signing appeals to Reds
The France star’s deal at Juventus expired over the summer, leaving his mother and agent, Veronique free to negotiate terms with interested suitors.
And while he could yet stay on at Juventus, the Bianconeri appear to have moved on from him having brought in Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa as a potential replacement.
Rabiot‘s mother is also understood to have held talks with Milan and Inter over prospective moves but strong interest in his services has also come from the Premier League.
And the player’s demands for a salary worth around £100,000 a week should not present too many hurdles were any of those big-hitting sides to make their move.
Now amid claims that Slot is attracted to the prospect of bringing Rabiot in on a free, former Reds star John Barnes has listed the qualities that would make Rabiot such an appealing addition.
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And while acknowledging he would not be a direct Fabinho replacement, Barnes believes he has a number of assets that would make him shine in the Premier League.
“Well, I think that that role is by playing at number six, that holding role… Rabiot, he’s good on the ball, a good defensive midfield player who could also break forward and make passes.
“And while he’s not going to score many goals, I think he’d be a good addition to the squad, particularly if he’s on a free.”
Rabiot has appeared 212 times for Juve since his free-transfer move from PSG in 2019, scoring 22 times. His best scoring season came in the 2022/23 campaign when he notced 11 times in 48 games, though as Barnes testifies, his game is not really about scoring goals.