Man Utd could still make final signing this week to solve midfield problem

Manchester United could decide to boost their midfield ranks by making another signing before the end of this week. The summer transfer window closed on Friday but clubs are still allowed to sign unattached players, who can move at any time.

United signed Manuel Ugarte on deadline day but could do with at least one more midfielder to give them some extra depth in the engine room. They looked lost in the middle of the park against Liverpool, with Casemiro giving away two goals before he was hooked at half-time.

Erik ten Hag was forced to throw Toby Collyer in at the deep end to replace Casemiro, with United lacking depth on the bench. Ugarte was ineligible to face Liverpool but will almost certainly start ahead of Casemiro when he settles in at Old Trafford.

However, it seems clear that United could benefit from replacing Casemiro altogether by signing another midfielder to rotate with Ugarte. They could do far worse than to pursue a move for Adrien Rabiot, who is currently a free agent following his release from Juventus.

Rabiot has been linked with United for several years without ever making the switch to Old Trafford. The Red Devils were credited with an interest during his time in Turin but nothing materialised and he ended up staying in Italy.

He was reportedly close to joining United in 2020 but the move was thwarted by then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They now have a golden opportunity to land Rabiot without paying a penny, which would make sense for all parties given United’s midfield situation.

Rabiot still has a few years left in the tank at the age of 29 and would bring plenty of title-winning experience to United’s squad. He also represented France at Euro 2024 over the summer, playing in all but one of their matches at the tournament.

However, it would be crucial for United to avoid tying him down to an unnecessarily long contract, as they did with Casemiro. If they can tempt Rabiot into signing a one or two-year deal, it might just be the perfect way to strengthen their midfield for the foreseeable future.

Given that Rabiot is still unattached, there is no time limit for United to get a deal done. However, they would benefit from getting talks underway sooner rather than later in case other clubs decide they want to sign the Frenchman for themselves.

If a move can be arranged before the end of this week, it would allow Rabiot to make his United debut when they travel to Southampton after the international break.