Manchester United are leading the race for another signing this summer, it has emerged, and could beat rivals Liverpool to yet another deal.
Man United busy already this summer
Erik Ten Hag's side have already confirmed two signings this summer, with Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee both arriving for a combined £86m in deals that the Red Devils hope will help them improve on last season's eighth placed Premier League finish.
On Yoro in particular, the Red Devils knocked back interest from both Real Madrid and Liverpool to seal a deal for the teenager, though he was injured in their pre-season defeat to Arsenal. The Red Devils are not set to stop their transfer business at that though, and have lined up a whole host of deals to potentially be completed between now and the end of the transfer window.
Noussair Mazraoui appears to be the most likely to be next, with the Moroccan having reached a full agreement with United to make the switch to Old Trafford and United having agreed a fee with Bayern Munich for the right back. However, his arrival hinges on the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose place in the squad Ten Hag's former player would take.
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Another player currently in limbo is Mazraoui's teammate Matthijs de Ligt, who wants to join Manchester United and has turned down other offers to try and push through a move to Old Trafford, though it is unclear whether or not the Red Devils will be adding another centre-back and it is probably linked to the future of Victor Lindelof. Now, another deal is reaching its closing stages.
Man Utd in pole position for midfielder
That comes as Caught Offside report that Manchester United are in pole position to sign free agent midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer. The Frenchman, who started for Les Bleus at EURO 2024, saw his time with Juventus come to an end at the end of the most recent campaign, and at 29-years-old he remains in the prime of his career.
Rabiot was hailed as "world class" by French legend David Trezeguet ahead of the 2022 World Cup, as well as an "extraordinary" talent.
“We are talking about a problem for Juventus because in Italy he may have been targeted for criticism, but in France it’s completely different", the ex-Juve man explained. “He is world class, an extraordinary player. Now he will evaluate his options and will go back to being the important player he always was."
He has already seen one move to Manchester United fall through back in 2022, but now could finally make the Old Trafford switch. Valued at €35m (£30m) by Transfermarkt, the Frenchman is attracting interest from both Manchester United and Liverpool courtesy of his free agent status, making him a potential market opportunity for sides on a budget.
Adrien Rabiot in Serie A 2023/24
Appearances
31
Goals
5
Assists
3
Yellow Cards
8
And the report reveals that talks are "heading in a positive direction" with "all parties now optimistic that an agreement can be struck" to make Rabiot the latest new addition at Old Trafford. It is even claimed that the contract will be worth between £130,000-£150,000 a week, plus a sign on bonus to lure the Frenchman to the Theatre of Dreams.