Juventus yet to agree Adrien Rabiot contract extension, Man United remain admirers

Injuries and poor form have forced Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag to constantly reshuffle the deck which has led to a lack of stability and team chemistry out on the pitch.

It is most pronounced in midfield where the Dutchman is yet to figure out his ideal midfield combination, trying out almost all players with very little success rate.

The season started with new signing Mason Mount accompanying Casemiro but the Englishman’s tendency to play in more advanced areas forced the manager into a rethink only three games into the season.

In came Christian Eriksen to join the Brazilian, a pair that had worked really well in Ten Hag’s first season. However, both have lost a yard of pace and struggled with the intensity during the big away games.

United need a new midfielder
The United boss recruited Sofyan Amrabat to soften the blow of an underperforming Casemiro but the Moroccan is yet to settle into life in Manchester and looks to be struggling to adjust to the tempo of proceedings.

Scott McTominay and Hannibal Mejbri have both played and while the Scot is the joint top scorer for the club in the Premier League, he has struggled to affect the game from a deeper position with very few touches.

The former Ajax coach knows that with the uncertain future of the former Real Madrid superstar, United need a solid midfielder who has the engine to run for 90 minutes and the vision required to unlock stubborn defences.

Since Ten Hag came to Old Trafford, he has been adamant that Juventus star Adrien Rabiot can be that type of midfielder for him but a move has never panned out.

In the Dutch manager’s first summer, United agreed a fee with the Frenchman only for an exorbitant salary demand to cause the move to break down.

Even this summer, there was intense speculation but the France international decided to extend his Juve contract by a year and he has been an ever-present member of Max Allegri’s side.

Last season, the 28-year-old scored 11 goals and assisted six more in his best-ever season in terms of goal involvement but he has not hit the same heights in the current campaign.

In 11 games, he has one goal and two assists but Allegri remains a fan and the Old Lady want the player to sign an extension so that they do not lose the midfielder on a free.

United continue to be admirers and as per Calciomercato, the 20-time English league champions are expected to come back for the France international in the summer.