Wenger was hoping to sign French youngster Adrien Rabiot for free at the end of the season. Unfortunately, things are not looking that good for Arsenal who might lose the 19 year old to Italian side AS Roma. For the past two seasons or so, the Romans have really upgraded their game and have invested massively in young players. According to TalkSport, the idea of being part of a team which gives all players the same chance regardless of age is really appealing for PSG’s midfielder. Despite knowing very well that Wenger is in desperate need of a player with his profile, Rabiot is closer to Italy than to the UK.

The bad news for Arsenal is that Rabiot seems to have made up his mind already. His agent informed the media that Roma are in talks with the Frenchman despite PSG’s desire to keep him for a few more seasons. The Gunners were not even mentioned in his speech which was mostly intended to dismiss rumors that Ajax could be a destination for Rabiot.

Even so, there is a lot of time left until the end of the season when things will get settled. Until then, it is hard to believe that Rabiot will leave. It is very likely that he will sign a pre-agreement instead of just leaving in the winter. The money which could go to the club might as well end up in the Frenchman’s pocket as long as he will wait until the summer to actually change teams.