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Manchester United have repeatedly rejected the opportunity to sign Adrien Rabiot this summer, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
The Italian transfer guru contends the French midfielder, who is currently a free agent, has been “offered to Manchester United several times over the summer, in July, in August.”
Rabiot, 29, left Juventus at the end of the season as his contract in Turin had expired. He made 212 appearances for the Old Lady across five seasons, having previously played for Paris Saint-Germain.
The French international has previously been linked with a move to Old Trafford on a number of different occasions.
In 2022, the Red Devils agreed a £15 million move with Juventus to sign Rabiot, The Athletic reveals.
However, Lou Macari, a former United player who works as a pundit for MUTV, questioned the club’s links to the midfielder, asking why no had signed him and stating he had a “bad feeling about that guy”. It’s alleged Rabiot was “upset” by these comments by the club’s in-house media department and had “second thoughts about the move”.
Theis reaction by Rabiot, over an innocuous comment which gained largely no traction publicly, is said to have “planted a seed of doubt” in United executives’ minds over the Frenchman’s “ability to withstand the scrutiny” that is applied to players at Old Trafford.
This doubt, combined with “significant” financial demands from Rabiot’s representatives, led to a move not materialising.
However, United did consider revisiting a deal for the 29-year-old last summer as his contract was set to expire with Juventus had, consequently, could be signed on a free transfer. But, still, the club decided against it. And this refusal to pursue Rabiot has continued this summer, Romano reveals, with United’s position “very clear” on not pursuing the midfielder.
Rabiot’s status as a free agent means he can still join a Premier League club, despite the English transfer window closing on August 30.
It’s telling, however, that none of United’s rivals have been tempted by the French international either. A combination of his age, as Rabiot will turn 30 this season, and the fact he is likely demanding a considerable wage packet is evidently an unappealing one.
INEOS, who gained full control over the football operation at Old Trafford in February, have sought to move United’s recruitment strategy away from the tendency to reward aging superstars with expensive contracts they would not be able to command elsewhere.
With this in mind, it appears extremely unlikely United’s new rulers would sanction such a deal for a player with Rabiot’s profile.
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2024-09-03 13:26:02
