Adrien Rabiot Is Not Just PSG’s Future, He Can Be Their Present

When Didier Deschamps announced his 23-man squad for the UEFA European Championship this summer, one surprise wasn’t in the actual squad, but in his list of alternatives, which included Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot. 

Just like before the 2014 FIFA World Cup, there were dropouts from the original list. But this time, it was defenders rather than midfielders, and Rabiot had to be content with watching from home.

However, through the performances of Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi and N’Golo Kante, he would have struggled for minutes regardless of his inclusion. But he used his time off this summer to ensure he’d have a strong start to the season.

The 21-year-old has started all three of PSG’s league games under new boss Unai Emery and has come out with nothing but praise in the early stages of the campaign.

Even after PSG lost 3-1 to Monaco at the Stade Louis II, Rabiot could hold his head high.

After Emery was appointed, one of the first signings the club made was to bring in Grzegorz Krychowiak from his old club Sevilla. Adding another name to PSG’s talented midfield.

For so long under Laurent Blanc, the trio of Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta and Matuidi were the flag-bearers, and the young Rabio had found it hard to break into the starting XI.

After Verratti missed most of the last campaign, Rabiot took his chance and was one of the Parisians’ most improved players over the past 12 months.

Even with that, when trying to pick PSG’s strongest XI, it was hard to find a place for Rabiot, perhaps giving the youngster reason to become frustrated and create a problem for the club and Emery.

With Verratti making his way back to full fitness, Matuidi on the bench and Krychowiak still to figure on the pitch, Rabiot has played a huge part in the opening weeks.

“I have also spoken with the coach, and he told me that he is really counting on me,” Rabiot told French television programme Telefoot at the weekend (h/t ESPN FC). “I want to prove this season that I can be an important player for the team. My ambition is to establish myself as a starter at PSG, and I think that with that, international recognition with France will also come.”

Rabiot went on to admit that he has been told that, for the time being, a move away from the French capital is “out of the question,” but if his playing time is reduced, the club may struggle to stop the classy …

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