Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 10y

Adrien Rabiot could leave PSG

Laurent Blanc has criticised Adrien Rabiot's advisors for encouraging the reported Chelsea and Arsenal target to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

- Johnson: How will PSG cope with injuries?

Rabiot, 19, is seen as a major star-in-the-making in France, and PSG have offered the midfielder an extension to his current deal, which expires next summer.

However, the teenager -- whose main advisor is his mother, Veronique -- has yet to take up the French champions' offer, and Rabiot could yet leave, with PSG loath to allow him to go on a free, as another promising youngster, Kingsley Coman, did this summer in joining Juventus.

Blanc, 48, told the media on Thursday he hoped Rabiot, who has yet to feature this season due to a foot injury, would remain at the Parc des Princes, but appeared resigned to losing the midfielder.

"The best solution for me is that Adrien Rabiot stays at Paris," he said. "The only problem is that we don't share that opinion. He has a year left on his contract -- you know what that means.

"I don't know how it will finish. We'll see. We have done a lot of things for Adrien, because we like the player, we like the boy, but there comes a time when you can go no further.

"I think he has a great opportunity at PSG because he has the qualities to play at the club. I think his entourage don't have the same opinion as me. I respect that, but I think his entourage are taking advantage of the contract situation the player has. If there wasn't that, we wouldn't be talking about him here."

With regard to offers for Rabiot, who featured in 25 Ligue 1 games last season, Blanc added: "You'll have to speak to the board, because I don't get the offers. If it was only up to me ... He has had a very good offer from PSG, but apparently it doesn't interest him."

Rabiot will watch his club's league game against Evian on Friday from the sidelines, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic will follow his teammates' progress from his native Sweden.

Ibrahimovic, 32, returned to Stockholm earlier this week after suffering a torso muscle injury in PSG's 2-0 victory over Bastia last Saturday.

Initial reports suggested the former AC Milan forward would miss at least a month of action, including his club's opening Champions League game in mid-September, but Blanc hinted the problem is not as serious as first thought.

"Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a very deep muscle tear in his side," he said. "What I can tell you, what is certain, is that Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gregory van der Wiel will not be in the squad to face Evian because they are not ready to play. They are certainly difficult injuries, but I think they will not be sidelined for long."

^ Back to Top ^