Reports: Arsenal in talks with Juventus for swap deal involving Adrien Rabiot and Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal are in conversation with Italian giants Juventus for a swap deal involving Adrien Rabiot and Alexandre Lacazette, according to Italian publication Calciomercato.

The report suggests that Juve are keen on Lacazette, and due to the financial situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, they would prefer a swap deal involving Rabiot.

Arsenal are considered long-term admirers of the Juventus midfielder, and reportedly met his agent in January to agree on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

The advantage of Lacazette is that he can actually control that ball and create space with it under pressure. Even if he sometimes turns into Gervinho in front of goal. Also, Tierney is lovely. https://t.co/sviMbmV2u0

— Zito (@_Zeets) July 19, 2020

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Arsenal to swap Lacazette for Rabiot

Multiple reports in Italy and France suggest that Alexandre Lacazette is one of the primary targets for Serie A leaders Juventus, with Maurizio Sarri a huge admirer of the 29-year-old and looking to add depth to his striking options in Turin.

Adrien Rabiot for Juventus against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 International Champions Cup

The Arsenal man has found a vein of form after underperforming for the majority of the season. Deployed in a withdrawn false 9 under Mikel Arteta, Lacazette has been consistently improving since the restart.

The Spaniard has publicly paid tribute to his striker, and revealed his admiration for Lacazette's talents, saying -

"I really like Alex, I said that even before I joined here he’s the type of striker that I really like."

"The way he can link play…he’s a massive competitor, he hates to lose, he goes for every ball, you see in every challenge how he is ready to go, how hard he works and he’s a very intelligent player. I am really happy with him", Arteta continued, going to add on, "Why would I want to lose a player like him? I’m really happy with him".

Despite the former Manchester City assistant manager's comments, there has been reported interest for the 29-year-old from Italy and Spain (linked to Atletico Madrid).

Signed for a £45 million fee three years ago from Lyon, the French international has failed to reach the 15-goal mark in each of his three seasons at the Emirates.

Adrien Rabiot has been impressive since the restart for Juventus, scoring a beautiful solo goal in the loss to AC Milan. The 25-year-old has frequently found himself out of favour at Turin since his move from Paris, but has rediscovered some of the form which made him one of the best midfielders in Europe for PSG.

With Matteo Guendouzi touted to leave London, the Arsenal manager will be looking to add to his midfield ranks. Rabiot's experience in Serie A and Ligue 1 might be invaluable in a relatively young Arsenal squad as they look to regain their place in the Champions League in the upcoming season.