In the summer of 2024, as his contract with Juventus concluded, Adrien Rabiot took his time before securing a new club. To the surprise of many, the French international, who honed his skills at PSG, ultimately committed to Olympique Marseille. However, recent revelations indicate Rabiot could have pursued other prestigious destinations.
Currently a key player for AC Milan, Adrien Rabiot returned to Italian football a year ago. His move to Lombardy came after he departed OM following an altercation with Jonathan Rowe, allowing him to once again compete in Serie A, a league he knows intimately. Indeed, between 2019 and 2024, Rabiot proudly wore the Juventus jersey. Upon the expiration of that contract, the midfielder, a product of the PSG academy, then made the unexpected decision to join OM, despite numerous top European clubs actively courting him with seemingly more ambitious projects.
ancelotti’s real madrid desire for rabiot
Beyond his history as a PSG academy graduate, Adrien Rabiot’s choice to sign with OM was particularly astonishing because the Phocaean club was not participating in any European competition at the time. Nevertheless, the French international was persuaded by Marseille, even though he had the potential to join… Real Madrid. As Rabiot delivered a strong performance for the French national team during the World Cup, Spanish journalist José Félix Diaz took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight this fact, reminding everyone: « Rabiot had no team on August 30, 2024. Ancelotti wanted to sign him ». Despite this clear interest from Carlo Ancelotti, the former Real Madrid coach, Adrien Rabiot ultimately did not head to the Spanish capital, instead opting for OM.
“i just went for it”
At OM, it was Medhi Benatia who spearheaded the audacious recruitment of Adrien Rabiot. The Moroccan, who has since concluded his tenure as Marseille’s sporting director, reflected on this significant coup: « When I brought Adrien in, the transfer window was closed, but we could use a joker. He was a free agent at the time, having not extended his contract with Juve. He had many options, but for various reasons, he hadn’t reached an agreement. I had followed his entire transfer saga, where he might go, etc. And honestly, I just went for it. (…) When you know Adri, he’s passionate about football, a guy who gives everything. So, when I called him, I thought, ‘at worst he says no, I have nothing to lose. But if it works out…’ And then, he called me back 24 hours later. I told him: ‘Adri, my friend, I gave you 48 hours, not 24. Are you sure you’ve thought this through?’ He replied: ‘No, no, I’ve thought about it. I’ll give you my mother’s number; call her, and you can start.’ I said: ‘Don’t worry, I already have everything. I just need you to tell me if…’ He cut me off: ‘No, it’s good, it’s how you spoke to me about football. It’s settled, I want to come.’ »
