Man Utd handed Adrien Rabiot transfer boost after agent’s eight-word admission

Manchester United’s long-time target Adrien Rabiot is reportedly back on the club’s radar. The French midfielder’s mother and agent, Veronique, has previously provided United fans with hope that a deal could likely be reached, too, after revealing that the Frenchman and United are on “excellent terms.”

The Red Devils had been close to securing Rabiot’s signature back in 2022 under Erik ten Hag’s first summer at the helm. They were reportedly on the brink of ironing out wages and a £15m transfer fee appeared settled until Rabiot made a surprise last-minute decision to halt the proceedings.

Nevertheless, since opting out of renewing his contract in Turin, Rabiot is now a free agent and seems prepared for a fresh challenge, having reportedly rebuffed approaches from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Manchester United appear to be in a favourable position, and Rabiot’s mother has bolstered their standing by stating to La Gazzetta dello Sport last year: “We are on excellent terms with Manchester United.”

Dispelling rumours about her demanding a staggeringly high commission during the failed 2022 transfer scenario, Veronique clarified: “All false. United wanted to meet me to illustrate their interest in Adrien, but we never talked about money in detail because he quickly decided to stay in Turin.”

Rabiot opened up, too, saying: “It’s true, there were contacts with Premier League clubs, but in the end, I was lucky to stay, perhaps it was the best decision.

“The Premier League is the most followed league, but I don’t think about the future. I am focused. The club and I are in no hurry (over a contract extension), there’s serenity so we can consider all options.”

With these affirmations, speculation mounts over an impending negotiation this summer, reports the Mirror. Meanwhile, his mother Veronique, a known tough negotiator, made her feelings abundantly clear during Rabiot’s time at PSG by blasting the club’s treatment of her son as his contract wound down.

She revealed in a bombastic interview with L’Equipe (via Goal): “He is held hostage by PSG. Soon, it will be dry bread, water, and a dungeon. Adrien is a prisoner! They want him to put on his pyjamas at nine o’clock, before the game, in front of his TV, to go to bed at eleven o’clock!”

With speculation about a move to Old Trafford intensifying, United fans might see more than just a new midfield talent make waves in the city. As disclosed by The Athletic from a family source, the star’s mother remains forthright and dedicated to her son’s career, despite stirring controversy along the way.

“She stands her ground,” a source revealed. “She goes overboard but she raised her boys and took her son everywhere for football, no matter if it was minus five degrees and snow. And she is an honest woman.

“Is she too loud? Yes. But she has a lot of baggage. The context is everything. She is not a bad person. And she will always defend her son to death.”