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Barcelona are considering the signing of Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot when the summer transfer window opens.
Fichajes says that the Blaugrana are keen on adding a midfielder to the ranks in an effort to bolster Xavi Hernandez’s options in the middle of the park and Rabiot is a legitimate transfer option.
Rabiot’s main point of attraction lies in the fact that he would likely arrive at Camp Nou as a free agent.
The Frenchman’s contract with Juventus is expiring at the end of the season and a renewal with the Turin club is yet to be agreed on.
Rabiot, who was close to joining the Red Devils in the summer is reportedly still on Erik ten Hag’s radar.
Last summer, a deal seemed to be imminent with football director John Murtough even travelling to Turin to seal the transfer.
However, United pulled out of negotiations at the eleventh hour, citing the player’s excessively high wage demands as the primary cause behind talks breaking down.
The three-time European cup winners turned their attention to Real Madrid’s Casemiro and the rest is history.
With United’s interest still seemingly intact, it seems that the club will have to ward off competition from la Liga’s table leaders.
Rabiot was also close to making the switch to Barca from Paris St Germain in 2019 but as in the case of United, his expectations of an extremely high salary hindered a deal from getting over the line.
It remains to be seen whether United’s stance on what they are willing to give Rabiot has changed from last time. By virtue of the fact that no transfer fee will be paid in this instance, the player and his mother Veronique Rabiot, who is also his agent, are likely to ask for a lot of money in the form of his salary and a signing-on bonus.
United are in desperate need of a midfielder and while he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Rabiot fits the bill perfectly. United’s other targets like Frenkie de Jong and Jude Bellingham all seem like unachievable pursuits. Rabiot could provide a solution in this case.
