The incredible clause that separates Adrien Rabiot and Barcelona
The Frenchman does not want to be played as a No 6, in the Busquets position
One of the main stopping points between Barcelona and Adrien Rabiot doesn’t come from an economic point of view but a sporting one.
The PSG midfielder is said to have asked for a clause in his contract that stops him being played in the No 6 role - where Sergio Busquets plays. It’s a demand difficult for any club to accept because it would condition the work of the coach and the rest of the squad. And Barcelona, it seems, will not even remotely accept that sort of condition.
Le principal point d’achoppement dans la signature du contrat entre #Rabiot et Barcelone réside dans le fait que ce dernier a demandé que soit stipulé une clause qui lui éviterait de jouer en position de «6 »
— Abdellah Boulma (@abdellahboulma) 9 de enero de 2019
The story comes from French journalist @abdellahboulma on Twitter. This problem has cropped up at PSG, with Thiago Motta formerly playing in that role and allowing Rabiot to operate further ahead. However they used to use Rabiot there when Motta was not available.
Barcelona have never found a player that can fulfil Busquets’s role, although Ivan Rakitic has done reasonably well there on occasion.
