FOUR Premier League giants fight for BARGAIN of the summer

Carlo Garganese

• 13 Aug 2024 12:30 BST
• 3 min read

Four Premier League giants - as well as two other clubs - are fighting it out for arguably the bargain summer.

Adrien Rabiot is available on a free transfer after his contract with Juventus expired on July 1.

Gazzetta dello Sport reports that six clubs are all in the race to sign the 29-year-old.

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These include Premier League giants Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, and also Turkish side Galatasaray and La Liga team Atletico Madrid.

All four English teams are in the market for a top central midfielder before the end of the transfer window, making Rabiot a very enticing prospect.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, have increased their interest in recent hours as their move for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is on the verge of collapse.

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Rabiot and Man Utd

Man Utd have been the favourites to sign Rabiot this summer having been close to buying him on two occasions in the past.

United had been in discussions with the midfielder’s agent and mother Veronique Rabiot last summer about signing Rabiot.

The Red Devils were expected to sign Rabiot on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 as his contract at Juventus ticked down.

But the midfielder chose to stay in Turin in the end, signing a new one-year extension days before his contract expired.

It was the second time in a year that he had rejected United.

It is widely understood that Juventus and Man Utd agreed on a transfer fee worth €18m plus €6m in add-ons in the summer of 2022.

But United were unable to agree personal terms with Rabiot, with Veronique again blamed for excessive demands. United then signed Casemiro instead.

United have now been working on a third attempt to sign Rabiot this summer.

But they face lots of competition from the Premier League and elsewhere.

Rabiot, 29, joined Juventus on a free transfer from PSG in 2019. He made over 200 appearances for the club, winning one Scudetto.

He had the best season of his career in 2022-23 with 11 goals in all competitions. He was not as impressive this past season with five goals.