Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot due to the wage demands set by the player’s mum and agent.
According to SunSport, the Old Trafford pulled the plug on the £15 million deal after his mum and agent, Veronique Rabiot demanded her son to be on a similar pay as Bruno Fernandes, which is around £240,000 per week.
As United were unwilling to match the demands set by Mrs Rabiot, they have now moved away from the French midfielder and are reportedly targeting other players as they look to strengthen their midfield options before the end of the window.
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After the humiliating 4-0 defeat against Brentford last weekend, Erik ten Hag was critical of his side’s performance.
He told Sky Sports: “It's naive, how we played today, you have to play more direct.
“We said: invite them in [to press] and play long. We attracted them, the space was high on the pitch and we had to choose that option.
“That's what we couldn't do. It's no good, definitely. That's not the standard on how we want to act.”
It has been reported that United now have their eyes on Real Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, the 30-year-old has been an integral part of the team at the Bernabeu, helping Los Blancos win five Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles.
However, the Spanish giants are believed to be keen on keeping Casemiro as he has a special relationship with manager Carlo Ancelotti. United are believed to be willing to pay £67 million for the combative midfielder.
Ten Hag is desperate for the club to add more players before the end of the transfer window. The Dutchman’s top target is Frenkie de Jong, with a fee already agreed with Barcelona for the 25-year-old.
Despite an agreement between the two clubs, De Jong himself has been stalling the deal as he is believed to be unwilling to leave the Catalan giants.
United are set to be targeting reinforcements in the attacking areas too, with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang all said to be on the radar.
Aside from incomings, the club are still working behind the scenes to solve the future of star man Cristiano Ronaldo. It has been widely reported that Ronaldo wants to leave the club for a Champions League team.
United however are adamant that the five time Ballon d’Or winner remains untouchable.
Time is fast running out for United to provide Ten Hag with a squad that is capable of challenging for the top places in the Premier League.
Next up for the Red Devils will be a huge clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford next Monday.
Topics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Adrien Rabiot, Bruno Fernandes
Marcus Chan