France midfielder Adrien Rabiot signs with Marseille

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — France midfielder Adrien Rabiot has signed a contract with Marseille after completing his medical, the French club said Tuesday.

A world-class midfielder, Rabiot should add some spice to the French league, which lost its biggest star this summer when Kylian Mbappé left Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid.

The terms of Rabiot’s contract were not disclosed by Marseille.

Rabiot arrived on Monday night at the city’s airport, where he was greeted by cheering fans.

The 29-year-old player was a free agent after declining to extend his contract with Juventus, where he spent five seasons.

His arrival will likely infuriate Marseille’s bitter rival PSG. Born in the Val-de-Marne region of Paris, he joined PSG’s academy at age 15. He made 227 appearances for the club, winning six French league titles, but left on bad terms in the summer of 2019, joining Juventus on a free transfer.

Rabiot won one Serie A title, two Italian Cups and one Italian Super Cup at Juventus.

Rabiot has made 48 appearances for France. He played at Euro 2024, where France lost to Spain in the semifinals.

Marseille — the only French club to win the Champions League (1993) — is off to an excellent start in the league under new coach Roberto de Zerbi. The club has recruited several new players this summer, including Mason Greenwood, Neal Maupay and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Still unbeaten, the nine-time champion is just two points behind PSG after four matches.

PSG and Marseille are the two big powerhouses of French soccer. The two rivals will meet on Oct. 27 in the biggest game of French soccer which is known as Le Classique.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer