Adrien Rabiot believes he would be a ‘guaranteed starter’ at Manchester United, due to their lack of quality in the central midfield.
The Red Devils are closing in on a move for the midfielder after reaching an agreement in principle with Juventus. This means that only personal terms stand in the way of the Frenchman becoming Erik ten Hag’s fourth signing of the summer.
There could still be some speed bumps before an official announcement, with Rabiot’s agent - his mother - holding a reputation as a tricky negotiator. Veronique is determined to drive a hard bargain and has already demanded that talks only take place with Football Director John Murtough, rather than any intermediaries.
United also have to persuade potential signings to make the move to Old Trafford without the lure of Champions League football. Ten Hag is insistent that returning to Europe’s top competition is his top target for this season, but in the meantime arrivals will have to settle for the Europa League.
Rabiot is another star who was reluctant to drop out of the Champions League, but is said to be willing to make an exception to join the 13-time Premier League winners. The 27-year-old has built up an impressive resume so far in his career, winning 22 major trophies, including league titles in France and Italy.
It’s unlikely United will be in contention for any major silverware this term, particularly after their limitations were brutally exposed by Brighton on the opening day of the new season. However, due to the stature of the club, Rabiot is willing to make a compromise and is interested in moving to England.
And L’Equipe via GFFN now report that Rabiot has identified another major pro in joining United, despite their current malaise. It is stated that the French international believes United’s ‘weak midfield’ would mean he is a surefire starter, something that can’t be said at every top club around Europe.
Ten Hag has clearly identified the centre of the park as an area he must upgrade, with Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic all leaving on free transfers. Frenkie de Jong has been his top target, but the saga to sign the Barcelona midfielder looks set to go right down to the wire.
Incidentally, should their pursuit of Rabiot end successfully, that would not rule United out of the running to sign De Jong in order to completely revamp their midfield options. That’s a stance which will go down well with United observers after watching the duo of Scott McTominay and Fred put in another forgettable performance during the 2-1 defeat to the Seagulls.
Paul Scholes ripped into the pair in his post-match verdict and suggested playing one of the pair was probably too many. “McTominay was always trying to run with the ball, ridiculous. The quality in the middle of the pitch was really poor.
“I was happy he didn’t get sent off [for a high challenge] but I think he was slightly lucky. Again, he’s running with the ball, absolutely ridiculous.
“It could easily have been a red card. The quality in the middle of the pitch was nowhere near good enough but we’ve seen that for the last few years with these two players.
“With Fred and McTominay, he [Ten Hag] is going to have to go with just one of them but even one of them is probably too many. Fred gives the ball away all the time and McTominay is trying to run with the ball constantly and then gives it away. Pass it to your best players! It’s not that difficult. It’s criminal on a day like today.”
