Deal for France World Cup star proving difficult for Newcastle United despite ‘great offer’

Newcastle United have already made ‘a great offer’ for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to reports in Italy.

The Magpies were initially linked with a move for the France star during the January transfer window and the links resurfaced during the summer as Rabiot moved into the final 12 months of his current deal with the Serie A giants. United were not the only club to be linked with the midfielder with Manchester United and Arsenal also said to be monitoring his situation. CalcioMercato reported earlier this year that Rabiot would be allowed to depart immediately for a fee between £12m and £15m as contract talks failed to reach a successful conclusion.

Rabiot’s next move has continued to be a hot topic during the World Cup after he appeared in all four of France’s games at the tournament so far. The former Paris Saint-Germain star found the net in his side’s 4-1 win against Australia in the opening game of the group stage and also started in a 2-1 win against Denmark and their round-of-16 victory over Poland. He appeared as a substitute in their 1-0 defeat against Tunisia and seems certain to be handed another start when Les Bleus meet England in the quarter-final on Saturday night.

United are understood to be monitoring several players at the tournament and it remains to be seen whether they will represented at the Al Bayt Stadium - but one report in Italy has insisted they have already made an offer for Rabiot and provided an update on why the ‘deal’ is proving difficult.

He told TuttoMercatoWeb: “Meanwhile, it always remains to understand the future of Rabiot. The feeling is that the Frenchman wants to end the season in black and white (of Juventus) and then decide on his next destination. Newcastle are interested and already in January they could come forward with a great offer but it is difficult for them to find the player’s consent.”