French midfielder Adrien Rabiot is going to be one of the hottest prospects among free agents in world football after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires on June 30, 2019. Several top clubs in Europe have pursued his signature over the last few months, which included the likes of Barcelona, but it now seems that the Catalan club have dropped out of the race to sign him after securing the services of young Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
English club Manchester United are now keen on adding the Frenchman to their team, as per Mundo Deportivo. But the Red Devils have competition with clubs like Arsenal and Spanish club Real Betis also interested in him. The latter wants him to replace Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who is set to leave the club.
The midfielder’s signing on fee was an astronomical €15 million, as per Sport, which put off Barcelona.
Rabiot was part of Paris Saint-Germain’s youth team before making his debut for the club in 2012 and then went on to play over 200 times for the French side, becoming a key player in the team. But after the player and PSG could not agree to a new contract, Rabiot was frozen out of the French club’s first-team plans.
Is he what the midfield needs right now?
It’s quite clear that Manchester United need more than one signing in midfield. The Red Devils will have to sign a replacement for Ander Herrera, who left the club on a free transfer, which leaves United with just Paul Pogba as the one world-class midfielder. The likes of Fred and Nemanja Matic had a terrible season and will have to make a huge turnaround to feature heavily in the 2019-20 season for Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Rabiot is a graceful and smooth operator with the ball at his feet in midfield who can pick out the right pass and keep the team ticking. Although primarily employed as a defensive midfielder, the Frenchman likes to move forward linking up the play, but is also aware of his defensive duties, getting stuck into tackles and closing down pockets of space.
Quick and a good dribbler, Rabiot is a great player to drive into the box while also being a good defensive option when shutting down opposition counter-attacks.
As his contract is set to expire, he will be available for free, which will give Manchester United money to spend on other areas of the pitch. The Red Devils should certainly sign him if the opportunity arises.