When Erik ten Hag took the reins at Manchester United at the end of a dismal campaign, he quickly identified that the backbone of the team needed a quality injection.
Lisandro MartÃnez came on to fix a defensive lag and it has turned out to be a revelation and he will return to the club as world champion.
Another major puzzle that needed a bit more time to iron out was the issue of lack of wit and bite in midfield. Free agent Christian Eriksen arrived to add silk but the steel part was still missing.
The long and arduous search for United’s midfield
That particular chase was a protracted affair with United first targeting Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, even going so far as to agree a fee with the Catalan giants.
When that deal failed to materialise, the Red Devils proceeded to try to complete a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. But extraordinary wage demands from his mother meant the deal was ultimately broken.
It was then that the 20-time English league champions stumbled across Casemiro and a record deal was agreed between United and Real Madrid.
????| Manchester United are interested in re-engaging in talks with Adrien Rabiot about a free transfer after his impressive World Cup performance. #MUFC ???? pic.twitter.com/hgx5ARNa9W
— John Birky (@John_Birky) December 19, 2022
However, there is a chance Rabiot will still make it to Old Trafford if a recent report by Calciomercatoweb is to be believed.
According to the Italian publication, the Turin-based club are looking to add to the right side of their defense and have identified Diogo Dalot as the perfect complement. Juventus is “ready to go wild in the imminent winter transfer market.”
And to get his man, he is willing to send his French World Cup finalist to United in exchange for the Portuguese full-back in January.
The craziest exchange idea of ​​January
The Frenchman’s contract expires on June 30 next year and he has not agreed to a contract extension. Dalot is in a similar boat, but the Reds recently initiated the one-year extension option on his contract.
Juventus would go so far as to offer Adrien Rabiot’s card, valued at around 15 million euros, so as not to lose him to zero and gain a thick profile for the right defense.
Take this report with a grain of salt, as Ten Hag values ​​Dalot too highly and the club is also trying to get him to sign a lucrative long-term deal.
As for Rabiot, United is unlikely to be looking for him again despite his World Cup exploits. Ten Hag is likely to target a younger star to slot into the Reds’ midfield next summer.
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