The sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain Antero Henrique has confirmed that Adrien Rabiot will enjoy a lengthy period on the bench after refusing to sign a new deal at the club. The midfielder, whose current contract ends in July 2019, has reportedly been in negotiations for a renewed deal for months now.
However, all advances have proved futile as the player has his heart set on a move elsewhere. According to French news outlet L'Equipe, Liverpool is currently leading a host of other top European clubs interested in securing the signature of the 23-year-old midfielder.
While Rabiot's potential suitors are yet to make an official approach for his signature, Mr. Henrique has confirmed that he will not feature in any starting XI for an indefinite period. The PSG sporting director claimed that the club feels betrayed by the path taken by the Frenchman and his entourage.
"It seems that the player and his representative have misled us for several months," Antero Henrique exclusively told Yahoo Sports France.
"I must add that this situation is disrespectful for both the club and the fans. Especially from a player who has played under our colors from the training center to the first team. A player who has always received the full support of the club."
PSG sporting director Antero Henrique: "Adrien Rabiot has told me that he will not sign a contract extension & that he wishes to leave the club at the end of the season, so once his current deal finishes. The consequences are very clear: he is indefinitely benched." https://t.co/ELsNJuVwoa
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) December 17, 2018
It is believed that Adrien Rabiot's spell on the bench will not last for long with PSG purportedly considering the idea of offloading him in the winter transfer window. This was confirmed by head coach Thomas Tuchel as per the Daily Mirror with the club running the risk of losing the midfielder to free agency next season.
"I cannot guarantee that Adrien will finish the season with us. Because it is still the same thing. He did not say yes to PSG. And as a result of that, everything is possible.
"As you say, it was necessary and important for me, for us, to sign a No. 6 for our team this summer. Now we are in winter and it is the same thing. It depends on the situations of Adrien Rabiot and Lassana Diarra. Maybe we will need them now."
Adrien Rabiot has so far made 25 appearances across all competitions for PSG this season.