Man Utd risk losing key midfield target for second year running

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 7 Jun 2023 12:42 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United have suffered a setback in their quest to sign Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer.

La Stampa reports on Wednesday that Juventus have set up a meeting with Rabiot and his mother/agent Veronique to discuss a contract renewal.

Juventus are set to offer a one-year renewal at the same hefty €7.5 million a year salary Rabiot is currently.

READ MORE: Who is Veronique Rabiot?

They are able to do this because of the Italian Growth Decree that allows them to pay a reduced tax for the French midfielder.

The chances of Rabiot staying appear still to be on the slim side but the news will come as a blow to Man Utd, who appeared very confident of a smooth path to signing the 28-year-old this summer.

Rabiot’s contract in Turin expires at the end of the month and he is available on a Bosman Transfer.

Juventus had been in talks with Rabiot over a new deal for a few months but discussions were halted when the Bianconeri were handed a final 10-point penalty which saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Rabiot had made it clear that he would only stay at Juventus if they qualified for the Champions League. The points deduction means that Juve finished seventh and will only be in the Conference League - and that’s only if they avoid a total European ban from Uefa, which is a possibility.

Nevertheless, Juventus hope they can convince Rabiot to stay for one more year. The midfielder enjoyed the best season of his career last term individually with 11 goals.

The Bianconeri also have a good relationship with Veronique Rabiot.

Rabiot close to joining Man Utd

Rabiot was very close to joining Man Utd last year, with the 28-year-old locked in advanced negotiations with the Red Devils.

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

All that was required to complete the move was for Rabiot to agree personal terms.

However, Rabiot requested a huge salary rise. His mother and agent Veronique was blamed for these excessive demands, also asking for a huge signing-on bonus.

Subsequently, Man Utd refused to meet these salary demands and the transfer fell through.

Instead, United opted to pay substantially more in buying Real Madrid legend Casemiro for over €70m.

Will a late development cost United from signing Rabiot for a second year running?