Manchester United have agreed a deal for Adrien Rabiot with Juventus, but need to agree personal terms; Rabiot has one-year left on his deal at Juventus; there is still hope at United they can sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona and signing both players has not been ruled out.
Manchester United have turned their attention to Adrien Rabiot to solve their midfield problems as talks for Frenkie de Jong continue to stall. Here, Sky Sports takes a look at why they have opted to move for the polarising Frenchman...
The move comes from left-field after a summer-long pursuit of Barcelona midfielder De Jong, and has been met with scepticism by supporters. It was only on Friday that United manager Erik ten Hag said it was important to sign "the right player" rather than buying just anyone when quizzed about the club's slow business this summer.
The France international has failed to make a substantial impact at Juventus since signing on a free transfer from PSG and drama seems to follow him wherever he goes. Never far behind is his mother and agent, Veronique.
Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Brighton was a wake-up call for Ten Hag, as it laid bare the necessity for reinforcements in midfield. Rabiot is now being lined up to remedy those problems.
A broad agreement for the transfer of Rabiot has been reached with Juventus, and United still believe there is a deal to be done for De Jong. The possibility of signing both has not been ruled out, with central midfield identified as a priority area for reinforcement this summer.
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