Pushed out of Marseille, Adrien Rabiot has made a spectacular comeback at AC Milan. Back under Massimiliano Allegri, the French midfielder is now performing at a level far beyond what was seen during their first collaboration at Juventus. So much so that Allegri says he finally has the player he has long hoped for.
Everything comes to those who wait. Massimiliano Allegri has waited a long time. For years, the Italian coach has shaped, corrected, insisted, sometimes grumbled, and often hoped.
Today, he finally feels he has found what he has been looking for for so long in Adrien Rabiot (30): a complete, dominant, consistent, and decisive midfielder. A mature, confident, fully developed player.
A long-dreamed-of player
In Turin, the Italian coach never stopped demanding more from the French international. More presence in the box, more goals, more offensive impact. The reminders were numerous, sometimes severe, often public. “He needs to score 10 or 12 goals per season,” repeated the tactician at the Old Lady, frustrated by a player he considered complete… but unfinished. The former Parisian progressed in fits and starts, never quite living up to the model of an all-round midfielder that his coach had in mind for reaching the top.
The end of their joint adventure with the Bianconeri left a feeling of unfinished business. Rabiot had finally raised his game—scoring 16 goals in the last two seasons, compared to six in the first three—gaining in verticality and influence, while Allegri, increasingly convinced, consistently defended him against criticism. But the unstable sporting context, economic constraints, and uncertainty surrounding the club’s future prevented the idea from being fully realized. The tactical fantasy existed, the foundations were laid, but the work remained incomplete.
Milan, the final destination
At Milan, Allegri chose to stop restricting Rabiot and instead gave him a tailor-made role in a team looking for a leader in midfield. Playing as a free mezzala on the left, with responsibilities in build-up play, runs into the box and pressing in the center, the Frenchman is no longer held back, helped by the invaluable contribution of Luka Modric. The result is a more vertical, more decisive, and above all more consistent player. In Bologna (0-3) on Tuesday, this evolution was obvious, confirming a rise in form that began several weeks ago with an assist and another beautiful goal.
After the show of strength in Emilia-Romagna, Allegri did not hide his satisfaction. “Yes, this is the best version of Rabiot,” said the Tuscan, praising a player who has reached a level of maturity and consistency rarely seen before in his career. The discourse has definitely shifted: it is no longer a question of potential, but of accomplishment. And in the race for the Scudetto, AC Milan is now relying on Rabiot—four goals and five assists this season—who has become the exact embodiment of the fantasy Allegri had been nurturing for years.