Manchester United are looking to add at least one new face to their engine room before the summer transfer window closes (30 August) and, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, out-of-contract ace Adrien Rabiot would be ‘super keen’ on the move.
Rabiot, currently without a club, left Serie A outfit Juventus this summer after his contract came to an end. CaughtOffside recently reported that Erik ten Hag’s men, alongside Arsenal and Liverpool, have been in contact with the former Paris Saint-Germain ace.
Last campaign alone, the 48-cap France international – who impressed at Euro 2024 –chalked up 35 outings in all competitions for the Bianconeri, notching five goals and three assists in that time frame.
‘It’s not close but anything can happen’.
Talking on the United Stand YouTube channel, the ever-reliable Romano suggested that the Frenchman, described as ‘world-class’ by David Trezeguet, is a player that has been discussed in the past but also as recently as this summer with Ten Hag and Co looking to address their porous middle of the park.
Although nothing is advanced at the time of writing, the midfielder’s free agency status means that a deal could be snared relatively easily should a deal for Manuel Ugarte not come to fruition. Romano said:
“Rabiot, at the moment, is a player they discussed with his mother, his agent several times years ago. But also, this summer, they were offered the possibility to go for Adrien Rabiot.
“At the moment, I’m not aware of anything really advanced on this one. I know the focus of Man United is on something else. But, with free agents sometimes, you can be very fast in the negotiations. You don’t even need to talk to clubs. So, you can agree with players in a few hours and try to close the deal.
Suggesting that Manchester United are not currently at that stage, Romano insisted Rabiot’s hefty wage demands could prevent a deal from happening, especially given he snubbed a €7 million-per-year contract from his former employers. Despite being a free agent, the football insider highlighted that he’d be an ‘expensive free agent’ thanks to his signing fee.
“At the moment, this is not the case for Man United. The position is focus on Ugarte because Rabiot is asking for a very important salary. Rabiot turned down salary of €7 million per season over four years at Juventus, so he wants more than this. Then there is a signing fee when you sign a free agent, and he’d be an expensive free agent.
“So that’s why Manchester United know that there is this possibility. The player would be super keen on playing in the Premier League. It’s his dream. I’m told it’s not close or imminent but, with Rabiot, anything can happen.”
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