The one player constantly linked with a move away from PSG is 20-year-old Adrien Rabiot. For multiple transfer windows now, Rabiot and his relentless agent mother, have demanded a move away from PSG in order for the player to feature more regularly.
There is not an ounce of doubt that the youngster is immensely talented, and because of that, he feels he should be more regularly involved in the action on the pitch.
President Al-Khelaifi has highlighted his disappointment in the midfielder’s urge to go on loan in January, also adding that he wants Rabiot to be the club captain one day.
“He is a great talent,” adds Al-Khelaifi. “My dream is that he becomes PSG captain one day. But he must respect the club, the coach and teammates. He got the message. He will be here 100% in January.”
According to tribalfootball.com. United’s new kit suppliers, Adidas, “have been used as an intermediary” between the Rabiot camp and Manchester United as the player has an endorsement deal with Adidas. His mother and agent apparently also made contact with the club asking if the player is of interest to van Gaal.
There are rumours now that Manchester United are willing to meet the £21m price tag to land the talented midfielder. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested, but United have the lead in the youngster’s pursuit.
A benefit to Van Gaal and United
Manchester United will benefit from his addition greatly as they need a midfielder of Rabiot’s ilk in the midfield at the moment. There is not much love for Maroune Fellaini in the fan base, despite him getting a crucial assist against Liverpool and understandably so. The Belgian is wasteful in possession and lacks much mobility in the middle of the park.
He usually sits in the centre and operates between the defense and the attack, thus not completely becoming a defensive midfielder, which usually sees the player acting like the third central defender or a shield to the defence, or becoming an out and out attacking midfielder for the team.
However, his defensive contribution this season has been pretty impressive in the middle of the park. He averages 4.2 tackles and 2.5 interceptions every 90 minutes in the league. This is also down to the fact that he is used in a deeper position alongside Verratti or Motta.
Strong offensive weapon
At Manchester United, van Gaal could really profit from his offensive strengths like the ability to weave clever through balls, dribble with precision if the Dutchman uses him alongside a defensive midfielder like Morgan Schneiderlin.
The added advantage with him would be that in a midfield trio, he would also be able to shield the defence alongside the former Saints player in addition to adding attacking impetus if someone like Herrera or Mata started in an attacking position.
The fact that he can play as a number 10 also adds to his charm. His vision help him exploit even small holes on the pitch and he cleverly finds space to either move forward or pass the ball to a teammate. He also reads the game very well and will only get better with age.
His future is probably as a box-to-box midfielder but his progress depends on the guidance and game-time he receives. It’s not surprising to see him want to play more as he truly is that talented, but it is easier to see Blanc’s dilemma as he has plenty of more experienced midfield options.
A perfect addition
If they pay up, PSG will definitely let go of Rabiot as the player is extremely keen on going to a place that can give him more time on the pitch.
At United, Rabiot might find that eventually (once he establishes himself in the first team) and with Carrick and Schweinsteiger not getting any younger, he could prove to be a perfect addition to the team.
Written by Aakriti Mehrotra
Follow Aakriti on Twitter @Aakriti1
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