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Adrien Rabiot hopes an impressive World Cup campaign with France will help him win a contract at Juventus or elsewhere ahead of his deal with the Bianconeri expiring next year.
Having been left out of Didier Deschamps’ squad when France won their second World Cup in 2018, Rabiot could make his debut at the tournament in Tuesday’s Group D opener against Australia.
With his Juventus contract set to expire at the end of this season, Rabiot was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in the last transfer window.
The midfielder is likely to feature regularly in Qatar after Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante were ruled out of the tournament, and he hopes to impress Juventus – or any potential suitors – with his displays.
“It excites me to be here and probably a starter. I prefer to be in this position of 2022 rather than four years ago,” Rabiot said on Friday.
“It’s a chance to be there in the shoes of a starter for a such a competition. I don’t know if it’s a turning point, but it can help me.
“Contractually, I’m in my last year at Juve. It can help me for the future.”
The absence of Pogba, who scored in France’s 2018 World Cup final victory over Croatia, represents a severe blow to Les Bleus’ hopes of becoming the first team to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
Rabiot says his Bianconeri team-mate has told him to assume a similar leadership role with his country to that which he occupies in Turin.
“We see each other every day. We talked a lot about the competition,” Rabiot added. “Did he give me some advice? Not necessarily.
“He encouraged us and said that he would follow us. He asked me to pull this team and this environment as I do at Juve.”
