Atlético de Madrid are looking for a quality reinforcement for their midfield and Adrien Rabiot was a strong candidate. The 2018 World Cup winner with France ended his contract with Juventus in June and has not yet found a team. The red-and-white club, led by Gil Marín, saw the opportunity to sign the Frenchman without a transfer fee.
Adrien Rabiot, the missed opportunity
Rabiot has been on Atlético de Madrid's radar for years. In 2019, before signing for Juventus, the midfielder was already close to joining the red-and-white team. Now 29 years old and with plenty of experience in Europe, Rabiot fits the profile Simeone is looking for perfectly .
Rabiot 's situation is surprising because, despite his quality, he has not yet reached an agreement with any top-level club. The Madrid club wants to strengthen its midfield to better compete in La Liga and in Europe.
New opportunity for Lemar
Rabiot's arrival would have been a final blow for Thomas Lemar. Lemar's performances have been inconsistent since he arrived at the club, and his position was at risk with Rabiot's arrival. Simeone has always trusted Lemar , but his ups and downs have left doubts.
Simeone had asked for a new midfielder to arrive before the transfer window closed. However, despite the fact that the red-and-white club made offers for several players, no operation ended up being carried out. Therefore, the board saw Rabiot as an opportunity that had presented itself before them.
Lost signing
Rabiot's situation and Atlético de Madrid's interest coincided at the perfect time. Gil Marín and the board knew that the opportunity to sign a player of his level without paying a transfer fee does not always present itself. Atlético were looking to strengthen and Rabiot could be the piece they are missing.
However, as has been reported in the last few hours, the signing has completely eluded Atlético de Madrid. Olympique de Marseille have reached an agreement with the player and he will return to his country. With this, it seems almost certain that there will be no movement in the red and white offices until January.