French starlet Adrien Rabiot has reportedly reached an agreement to join Barcelona as a free agent. The midfielder's current contract with PSG expires in the summer and will, as a result, be eligible to move to the Spanish outfit.
Rabiot was expected to extend his stay with the Ligue 1 champions earlier this season. However, contractual talks hit a snag and, subsequently, resulted in Paris Saint-Germain accusing the midfielder and his entourage of disrespecting the club by leading its management on.
During the period, Paris Saint-Germain's sporting director Antero Henrique highlighted that Rabiot, having failed to make his intention to depart clear, will be benched indefinitely. Speculations suggested that the Parc des Princes outfit was equally looking to cash in on the wantaway player as it risked getting nothing should the player depart as a free agent.
Nonetheless, the club's fears seem to have been actualized with Rabiot reportedly signing an agreement-in-principle to join Barca next summer. Back in December, the Camp Nou outfit released a statement to debunk claims that it had approached the 23-year-old midfielder illegally to secure his service although it confirmed that contact had been established.
According to Sky Sports' transfer gurus Gianluca Di Marzio and Fabrizio Romano, the Spanish club will pay the Adrien Rabiot 10 million-euro signing bonus due to his status as a free agent in June. He will earn 10 million euros per annum in wages after taxes.
Adrien Rabiot to Barcelona, here we go! Agreement reached for €10M/year salary, he'll leave PSG as a free agent on next June. Done deal. #transfers #Barcelona #PSG
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2019
Meanwhile, Barcelona is also reportedly the frontrunner in the race to sign Ajax midfield sensation Frenkie De Jong. The 21-year-old, who remains one of the most sought-after young football stars, is believed to be available for a fee in the region of 65 million pounds. Multiple reports from Spain indicate that Ernesto Valverde's side will aim to raise enough funds from the sales of Andre Gomes, Dennis Suarez and Rafinha in order to boost its ranks with De Jong's acquisition.
Toulouse 19-year-old defender Jean-Clair Todibo is also said to be on the radar of the Blaugrana and can join the Catalan club on a free transfer next summer.
