Manchester United’s futile attempts to get new manager Erik ten Hag to be their preferred midfielder were well documented.
For more than three months, the Red Devils tried to get Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong to sign on the dotted lines, but in the end, the protracted chase ended in defeat.
A mix of deferred wages Barca owed the player and De Jong’s own desire to stay and fight for his place meant that United ultimately had to look elsewhere.
Midfield Chase
The English giants tried to land Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and a deal was quickly struck between the two clubs. But salary demands from his mother and his agent meant the deal eventually stalled.
???? Manuel Locatelli refused to move to Manchester United during the summer because he wanted to stay at Juventus [Calciomercato] pic.twitter.com/r1ltv4fEqf
— Transfersgalaxy (@transfersgalaxy) October 1, 2022
Italian outlet Calcio Mercato has now claimed that Rabiot was not United’s first choice among the Bianconeri players, as they first spoke to Manuel Locatelli to gauge his level of interest regarding a move to the Premier League.
The report adds that the Italian midfielder did not want to leave so soon after joining La Vieja and wanted to settle in Turin.
The 24-year-old has not been at his best since joining from Sassuolo last season. He has yet to establish himself as a starter with Massimiliano Allegri.
Interestingly, he is the subject of interest from Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Arsenal. Juventus will only consider parting ways with Locatelli for €40m.
Locatelli’s move failed
Once United received Locatelli’s answer, they turned their attention to their midfield partner Rabiot.
In the end, after a frantic round of negotiations, the 20-time English champions ended up signing Real Madrid’s midfield destroyer Casemiro for £70m.
The Brazilian has yet to start a game in the league, but he has shown his class during cameos from the bench. The Brazilian international could take some time to get used to the pace of the Premier League.
His arrival has spurred on Scott McTominay, who has put on impressive displays in every game, with Ten Hag commenting on how difficult it was to bench him.
United will still be looking to add a midfielder next summer with reports indicating De Jong and England sensation Jude Bellingham top the list of potential targets.
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