Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to reports in Italy.
Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the 23-year-old.
Shortly after the announcement of his departure from PSG, new Arsenal boss Unai Emery explained what is the ideal role for the youngster in midfield.
"Let's talk about Rabiot," Emery told Marti Perarnau.
"He's a central midfielder, who is more comfortable playing as a defensive midfielder rather than a creative one. Even if he remains more of box-to-box, rather than a defensive midfielder.
"When you want to play with a defensive, creative and box-to-box-midfielders in fixed positions, Rabiot finds himself confronted to a problem. He has to run, run, run and not play in a fixed position statically. And even less so with his back turned on the action.
"Rabiot doesn't really like playing as a defensive midfielder, he likes playing as a box-to-box, but I prefer him as a defensive midfielder. That's why after the elimination against Real Madrid [in the 2017/18 Champions League], I told him he would play as a defensive midfielder.
"In that position, he can be faced with play and switch around with [Marco] Verratti. He is more competitive in these conditions.
"With certain players, you can't impose a strict idea. You have to adapt yourself to their characteristics in order to win in individual and collective competitiveness."
