da bet sport： Manchester United have reportedly made contact with Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot over a potential move this summer to the Old Trafford side.
What’s the latest on Adrien Rabiot to Man United?
da dobrowin： According to The Athletic, the Red Devils have begun talks with the representatives of the Frenchman in order to lure him to the Premier League this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of June.
The Serie A side want to keep him for another season and could be set to offer him a one-year extension to his deal, yet United will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last summer, where, despite reaching an agreement with Juventus, they failed to agree personal terms with the player.
Should Man United sign Rabiot this summer?
Missing out on the Frenchman last summer turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Casemiro ended up joining the club from Real Madrid and enjoyed a stellar campaign, ending up as their second-best performer in terms of overall rating via Sofascore in the Premier League.
The Brazilian had numerous partners alongside him throughout the season and Erik ten Hag will surely want to bring someone in who could become a mainstay in the midfield, as the likes of Fred and Christian Eriksen filtered in and out of the lineup.
Rabiot, who Gigi Buffon explained has "the strength of Pogba", enjoyed a resurgence during 2022/2023, missing just six league matches for Juventus, and he could certainly offer more going forward than Fred that’s for sure.
The 28-year-old registered 12 goal contributions last term – eight goals and four assists – along with making one key pass per game and succeeding with 60% of his attempted dribbles, giving his team an added threat from the heart of the midfield.
In contrast, Fred managed just four goal contributions – two goals and assists – while making 0.9 key passes and succeeding with just 44% of his attempted dribbles. Indeed, it’s clear Rabiot would be an upgrade going forward.
Even defensively, the 6 foot 2 Frenchman comes out on top across a string of metrics, including winning more tackles (35 to 30), interceptions (26 to 19) while also winning a higher percentage of aerial duels (56.2% to 50%) than Fred, indicating that he would be a shrewd signing, especially on a free transfer.
The £148k-per-week dynamo also shone during the 2022 World Cup for France, scoring during the opening match against Australia while ranking second in the squad for interceptions per game (1.7) and seventh for accurate passes per game (38.8) as France came so close to retaining their title, losing to Argentina in the final.
He was even lauded as being “sensational” by sections of the media during the World Cup and Erik ten Hag could land himself one of the bargains of the transfer window. With Champions League football adorning the Old Trafford pitch next season, it shouldn’t be a hard sell.