Romano drops major Man Utd transfer hint as France star nears deal

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 21 May 2023 09:17 BST
• 4 min read

Fabrizio Romano has dropped a major Manchester United transfer update that will encourage fans ahead of the summer window.

Manager Erik ten Hag has made it his priority to recruit players in numerous positions to try to fix as many of the problems in his squad as possible.

United are known to want a centre-forward, a right-back and a central defender in the summer, and now Romano has confirmed that they will sign an additional midfield player – even if they retain Marcel Sabitzer.

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The Austria international is on loan from Bayern Munich and will cost around €28.5 million (£25m) to retain.

According to the transfer specialist, Ten Hag could keep Sabitzer and still sign another central midfield star.

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Man Utd closing in on Rabiot

This points to a deal for Adrien Rabiot, who would arrive as a free agent as his contract with Juventus is expiring.

FootballTransfers understands that United are making strides to capture the France international star, who has enjoyed arguably the best season of his career at the Turin outfit.

Rabiot was close to a move to Old Trafford last summer, but a deal broke down amid hard negotiations from his mother and agent Veronique. A deal would be more palatable this summer given the absence of a transfer fee.

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Indeed, with the former PSG man joining on a free, this could allow Ten Hag the wiggle room in his budget to further bolster the midfield.

Meanwhile, FootballTransfers also understands that Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone is not interested in a move to Man Utd because he wants guaranteed first-team opportunities, which he could not be given at Old Trafford.

These moves are worrying for the likes of Scott McTominay and Fred, whose futures are already in the air. With one or perhaps two more midfielders set to join, their prospects for game time will diminish significantly and point to at least one moving on.