‘A great signing’ or ‘a huge mistake’ – Rebellious Rabiot the right kind of character for Barcelona?

“If Rabiot comes, he’d be a great signing.”
Would he, though? Rabiot undeniably has the talent, but does he have the temperament to succeed at Camp Nou? Is he the right kind of character for Ernesto Valverde’s team?
His fiery attitude has been called into question on many occasions before, with his decision to remove himself from France’s reserve list prior to the 2018 World Cup having caused huge controversy.
Labelled petulant, immature and ungrateful by a stunned press, the 23-year-old then continued to hit out at coach Didier Deschamps for omitting him from the full squad.

“If I decided to withdraw from the list of alternates, it is because I consider that the choice of the coach towards me does not answer any sporting logic because for all these years the message was clear, it is the performances in a club which open the doors of the national team,” he asserted.
Deschamps response? “I can understand the disappointment, the immense disappointment, but to take such a stance…
“I dare to hope that through some decisions like this it will allow him to mature, to reflect.
“I am convinced that he made a huge mistake in taking such a position.”
Would Barca not be making an equally big error in paying €50 million (£44.9m) for a player who has never proven easy to manage?
Certainly, his mother and agent, Veronique, has hardly helped matters.
Her bullish approach to handling her son’s affairs first reared its head back in 2008 when the midfielder was just 13, when, after orchestrating a move to join Manchester City, she terminated his stay in England after just six months, citing the club’s unsatisfactory treatment of her boy as an explanation for his premature departure.
At PSG, in 2015, she even handed in a transfer request on behalf of Adrien, as she felt he wasn’t featuring enough for Laurent Blanc’s side. He had only just turned 20 and was a regular in the matchday squad.
Veronique also demanded that any team interested in signing her son have an exciting project, be in possession of or be willing to sign a quality defensive midfielder, and guarantee that they deploy Adrien in his favoured position.
Taking all of this into account, along with the agitation caused by his refusal to extend a contract that expires next summer, one begins to fully appreciate the risks involved in getting involved with the rebellious Rabiots. The potential for facilitating future dressing-room disharmony is obvious.

In addition, seeing as he will be available on a free transfer next summer if no one else snaps him up beforehand, Barca would surely be better off adopting a more prudent approach to a player who, after all, is not even their primary midfield transfer target.
Ajax starlet Frenkie de Jong is the man the Blaugrana really want but their hopes of signing the 21-year-old, who was this week included in the Netherlands squad, hinges upon the outcome of the Dutch side’s Champions League qualifier with Dynamo Kyiv.
The Amsterdam outfit won the first leg on Wednesday night, 3-1, meaning it seems increasingly unlikely that Barca will indeed have to resort to Plan B: Rabiot.
He is certainly attainable but given PSG are interested in acquiring the exceptional Ivan Rakitic, the perfect example of professionalism, losing the classy Croatian for the questionable character of Rabiot would represent a massive loss for Valverde’s men, both on and off the field.

Even if Rakitic were to depart, which is by no means a certainty given how happy he is in Catalunya, the competition for places in Barca’s midfield would remain intense, with the likes Philippe Coutinho, Arthur, Rafinha, Denis Suarez, Arturo Vidal and the versatile Sergi Roberto all vying for a starting berth in Rabiot’s favoured post.
Although there’s tangible upside to securing a gifted operator like Rabiot, the timing and conditions, plus potential ramifications on the team, just don’t seem worth the risk at the present juncture.
Rabiot is PSG’s problem child. Barcelona don’t need to make him theirs.