Former centre-back Rio Ferdinand believes Adrien Rabiot has the potential to be a smart addition for Manchester United - but has warned that he is a downgrade on Frenkie de Jong.
With less than a month to go until the transfer window closes, United have been forced to assess alternative options in their quest to strengthen manager Erik ten Hag's midfield. The Reds identified Barcelona ace De Jong as their top target in May but are yet to make the breakthrough that they are desperate for.
Therefore, with uncertainty surrounding the deal to bring De Jong to Old Trafford, United have made the decision to explore alternative avenues, one of which is Rabiot. The club have agreed a deal in principle with Juventus to sign the France international and are now looking to thrash out personal terms.
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United's midfield woes were highlighted once again during Sunday's Premier League opener against Brighton, with Scott McTominay and Fred starting alongside each other. It is an area of the team that has been in desperate need of upgrading for several years.
And while Ferdinand thinks Rabiot could ease those troubles, he believes exploring signing him is evidently not their Plan A, insisting he is a slight downgrade on De Jong. The former centre-back has also raised questions about whether Rabiot has the goalscoring nous to fulfil the role he could be asked to.
"There's no doubting that Rabiot is a seriously talented footballer," Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. "Great left foot, brilliant at carrying the ball and dribbling and taking the ball under pressure, can pass – very well over short distances especially.
"The position Man United probably see playing him is one of the holding players, or an eight. My biggest concern with that is that, if he's going to be an eight, he doesn’t score enough goals.
"I think McTominay has got more goals over the last couple of seasons than him and he doesn't get enough either. So will the fanbase be happy? Given that they've been going for Frenkie de Jong, Rabiot is obviously the second, third or fourth option.
"They've been waiting for the Frenkie de Jong situation to change and it hasn't so this is a reactive signing. They thought they were getting Frenkie de Jong, 'No, we ain't getting him, we better go for someone else, who's available?' And it's not always the best case scenario when that happens.
"I think it will be a risk. I don't see the fee being much more than £20million, in today's market it's cheap considering. But at the same time, the biggest concern is: is he right for Manchester United? Is he going to make us a team that's going to challenge stronger for Champions League positions? I don't know.
"He's played a lot of games for Juventus recently, he was at Paris Saint-Germain, he's a France international. But for me he's obviously a step down from Frenkie de Jong."
Ferdinand concluded: "Rabiot coming in, I don't think it's as gloomy as everyone thinks. He adds quality, whether he ups the levels on what we’ve got remains to be seen."
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