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Erik ten Hag has put wheels in motion to sign Adrien Rabiot on a free contract this summer.
It was well-documented that United pursued Rabiot when their attempts to sell Frenkie de Jong fell through last summer, but despite agreeing a €20m fee with Juventus, a personal trip to Turin by director of football John Murtough did not result in agreement on personal terms with the French international.
United then signed Casemiro but they are still light in central midfield and with Rabiot now set to become a free agent in June, and with United’s transfer budget undecided due to takeover plans, they appear to be moving quickly to land the mercurial star.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano details (via Caughtoffside): “There have been contacts as Manchester United are interested again in Adrien Rabiot.
“There is no official bid, and Juventus have also made Rabiot a proposal over a new contract, so the player will decide his future soon.”
One thing is clear and that is Italian salary capping and Juve’s absence from European football next season following their 10-point penalty for tax evasion means that it will not be difficult to offer a better deal than them.
However, there could remain a huge gap between the figure needed to outbid the Old Lady and the figure that Rabiot’s own “old lady”, mother and agent Veronique, demands for her boy.
Last summer, figures of €10 million (around £175,000 per week) plus bonuses were bandied about in the media although some reports claimed that they had been exaggerated.
Juve’s maximum offer would be in the region of the current €7m plus bonuses (around £115,000 per week).
There is also the possibility that other suitors will be in the fray for a player who has had an excellent season for the Turin side and also impressed in the World Cup, helping France to reach the final.
Whether Ten Hag sees Rabiot as a first team starter or more of a squad player remains to be seen, but most people would agree he would be an upgrade on the likes of Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay.
With no transfer fee involved, £175,000 a week does not seem like a huge amount to pay for a player of his undoubted ability.
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