Manchester United have reportedly abandoned their pursuit of French midfielder Adrien Rabiot. The Red Devils had agreed to the transfer with Juventus for the 27-year-old midfielder. Rabiot had a contract until 2023 with the Turin-based side, and hence was an easily accessible option for United.
However, the agreement with Juventus was the easiest part of the negotiation for Manchester United. The club still had to agree to Adrien Rabiot’s salary demands, and negotiate terms with his mother Veronique, who carries along an infamous reputation.
Veronique Rabiot: Previous Involvements in Adrien Rabiot’s Career
Veronique has been tangled with Adrien Rabiot’s footballing career from the start. According to Le Parisien’s Dominique Severac:
“She’s involved in all his decisions and even initiates them. She imposes herself on him. Her influence is major and total.”
At the age of 15, Adrien Rabiot was called up to the PSG senior squad’s pre-season tour in Qatar. However, he was forced to pull out as the team did not allow his mother to accompany him.
Since then, Veronique has been directly responsible for several failed transfers involving her son, including moves to AS Roma, Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona.
She also blocked Adrien Rabiot’s move to Manchester in 2008 when the midfielder was being tracked by scouts from Man City.
Manchester United Refuse to Meet Adrien Rabiot’s Wage Demands
Manchester United were probably well aware of the unnecessary baggage that would come with the Rabiot transfer. The club’s football director John Murtough personally flew to Turin to seal the transfer.
However, negotiations between the player and club eventually fell through due to Rabiot’s demands for an “obscene” amount of salary. The Daily Star reported that Veronique demanded Adrien Rabiot to be paid on par with Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford. This would entail about 240,000 pounds a week, making the former PSG man one of the top earners at the club.
The development comes as the latest blow in an increasingly frustrating start to United’s 2022-23 season. The Red Devils have managed to acquire just three players from their long list of targets. Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen are slowly acclimatizing to life at Old Trafford, but new manager Erik ten Hag requires more signings to carry out the “open heart surgery” that the previous manager Ralf Rangnick prescribed.
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Manchester United meanwhile, are still hunting for a centre-forward in the market. The pursuit of Frenkie de Jong is also reaping little in return.
Later reports suggested that Manchester United are set to sign Casemiro as their Adrien Rabiot alternative. The reported bid of €60 million plus €10 million in add-ons was enough to match Real Madrid’s demands for their midfielder. The Los Blancos accepted the Manchester United bid for Casemiro as the Spanish club thought it was an offer “they can’t refuse”.
Who could Manchester United sign to reinforce their midfield? Let us know in the comments.
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