In a bizarre turn of events, Manchester United may get another crack at signing former transfer target Adrien Rabiot, who has reportedly been transfer-listed by Marseille after a violent dressing-room bust-up.
Rabiot, who nearly joined United last summer after leaving Juventus, was a standout player for Marseille, bagging nine goals and four assists in 29 league games as they finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain. However, his successful season has been overshadowed by a shocking incident. The 30-year-old and teammate Jonathan Rowe were reportedly involved in a “serious and violent” altercation, as described by club president Pablo Longoria. This has led to both players being put up for sale.
This unexpected development has opened a window for United. According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Rabiot is now being “offered” to multiple clubs, including the Red Devils, for a cut-price fee of just €15-20 million (£13-17 million).
“He’s a player who was a target for Man United many years ago, and in recent years was never close,” Romano stated on his YouTube channel. “He is going to be offered to Manchester United and many other clubs as an opportunity… But at the moment, it’s still an open situation.”
United have made it clear they are in the market for a central midfielder, having recently been rebuffed in their pursuit of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. The question is whether manager Ruben Amorim can convince Rabiot to make the move, especially after the Frenchman’s own comments from last year.
Speaking to The Athletic about why he didn’t join United last summer, Rabiot expressed his reservations: “The situation they’re in at the moment… I felt a bit of reticence about whether United were going to be able to go on and achieve great things. Because they’re in a bit of a hole at the moment.”
The situation has certainly changed for both player and club. Will United seize this new, albeit unexpected, opportunity?
