Manchester United working on a deal to sign Adrien Rabiot as De Jong pursuit stalls

Manchester United are currently working on a deal to sign midfielder Adrien Rabiot from Juventus, according to David Ornstein.

Rabiot is entering the final year of his contract at Juventus and has emerged as an option for Erik ten Hag as the manager tries to bolster his midfield.

Earlier this summer, AS Monaco and Lyon were chasing Rabiot’s signature, but nothing materialised.

Ten Hag wants to add some quality to his midfield after watching Scott McTominay and Fred disappoint against Brighton & Hove Albion in their 2-1 loss on Sunday.

McTominay made 27 passes in midfield and completed just 18 of them (67% accuracy). United only began to look better in the second half when Christian Eriksen dropped deep.

Rabiot is a central midfielder who can connect midfield to attack, something United need in their squad.

The left-footed central midfielder has excelled in this role for Max Allegri and Didier Deschamps. He also wouldn’t cost a lot.

United have spent most of their summer chasing Frenkie de Jong, but the Dutchman is adamant about remaining at Barcelona.

There are also rumours De Jong would prefer a move to Chelsea because they can offer Champions League football.

De Jong has been United’s top target, and they even agreed to an €85 million deal to sign the Dutchman from Barca, but complications arose from his deferred wages and insistence on staying put.

United have decided to move on to other options, and the 27-year-old Rabiot is reportedly high on their list.

One problem with signing Rabiot is his mother/agent Veronique Rabiot. She is confrontational and has clashed with Laurent Blanc, the PSG hierarchy, Wilfried Mbappe (Kylian’s father) and Paul Pogba’s family.

Her hardball negotiations also caused a move to Barcelona to fall apart. Her ways have also rubbed off on her son, who has clashed with managers and teammates.

Rabiot is not the most glamorous name, but he is a functional footballer and an upgrade on McTominay and Fred. He also has experience playing and winning titles at the highest levels.

Should United be adding another disruptive presence in their dressing room? Probably not. But the club is desperate for reinforcements, and with a cheap option like Rabiot available, they are willing to take the risk.