Man Utd target is ‘a lot more tempting’ as Ten Hag is tipped to ‘revisit’ failed summer transfer

Lewis Oldham
Man Utd-linked Rabiot

A move for Adrien Rabiot is reportedly ‘a lot more tempting’ now than it was during last summer’s transfer window amid interest from Man Utd and Arsenal.

Rabiot entered the final year of his contract at Juventus during the summer and Man Utd tried to sign him following their early-season defeats against Brighton and Brentford.

A deal looked likely at one stage but it ended up falling through. It was reported at the time that this came down to Rabiot’s lofty financial demands. 

The France international remained at Juventus and he is enjoying one of his best seasons for the Serie A giants. He is getting more involved in attacking areas and he has been involved in nine goals in 27 outings.

Rabiot is still being linked with a move to the Premier League and it is looking increasingly likely that he will leave Juventus as a free agent in the summer. Arsenal are among the clubs showing interest in him.

But Jonathan Johnson has stated in his weekly Caught Offside column that he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Man Utd tried again to recruit Rabiot.

‘With Manchester United last summer, there was some talk that the move fell through because of his wage demands, but it’s also worth remembering that United were not in the best shape at that time,” Johnson wrote for Caught Offside.

‘I know they’ve just been thumped 7-0 by Liverpool now, but generally speaking, they’re in a better place than they were when that interest in Rabiot was first explored.

‘I don’t think it’s necessarily clear that Rabiot still fits in with what Ten Hag is trying to do now, but Rabiot on a free transfer is a lot more tempting than having to pay a transfer fee for him, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see clubs revisit that.

‘I think many people also forget that, although Rabiot burst onto the scene at senior level with PSG, he actually spent a few years in the Manchester City academy, so he does have experience of playing in England I think it’s somewhere he’d like to test himself again at some point in the future.’

Johnson adds that Rabiot will have ‘some quite specific demands’ for his next club.

‘I think the Premier League is definitely a potential destination for him, especially one who can offer European football,’ Johnson added.

‘Still, he will come with some quite specific demands from his entourage – everyone knows he’s famously represented by his mother, and that can turn a lot of clubs off Rabiot’s talent. The talent is definitely there, though, as we saw in the World Cup with France.’

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