Manchester United have been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
What’s the news?
According to a recent report from TuttoMercatoWeb (via TEAMtalk), United have expressed an interest in securing a deal for the midfielder after reportedly being offered the chance to sign him.
While the Red Devils will undeniably need to add at least one new midfielder to their ranks with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata announcing their departures recently, we feel that the club and Erik ten Hag should not be considering Rabiot as a potential recruit.
After making 227 senior appearances for Paris Saint-Germain in which he scored 24 goals and delivered 14 assists, the 27-year-old joined Juventus on a free transfer three years ago. Since then, though, the Frenchman has found the net just six times and provided a mere six assists in 129 appearances.
His latest Serie A campaign with Juventus provides a good indication of why United should avoid signing the former PSG youngster.
United must swerve Rabiot move
In 32 league appearances this season, Rabiot racked up a passing accuracy percentage of just 82.7%, lower than many of his current Bianconeri team-mates. Also, with just seven shots on target and 39 shot-creating actions throughout the campaign, the £175k-per-week midfielder failed to have much of an attacking impact on the team.
One other important factor is his behaviour off the pitch at times, as he left his previous club on rather sour terms after
Antero Henrique slammed the player for going out to a nightclub not long after PSG were knocked out of the Champions League by United in March 2019.
Henrique said: “
I find the attitude and lack of professionalism of a player like Adrien Rabiot towards the club, his teammates and the supporters unacceptable.”
Taking all this into account, while it does seem like United need to sign some midfielders this summer, the Juventus misfit should not be on their radar, or else it could result in a huge transfer calamity for Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils should instead be looking at other, more reliable midfield options who could come in and help get the club back to where they want to be.
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