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Erik ten Hag is out to revamp Manchester United’s midfield after their dire display against Brighton.
The Dutchman, 52, stuck with the familiar faces of Fred and Scott McTominay for his maiden Premier League outing but could only watch on in dismay as Graham Potter’s Seagulls ran riot at Old Trafford.
Now, emergency intervention looks set to start with the arrival of Juventus regular Adrien Rabiot for just £15million.
The Guardian believe discussions over personal terms have already begun after the relatively modest fee was quickly agreed between United and the Serie A giants.
French international Rabiot, 27, has less than 12 months to run on his contract in Turin and appears an upgrade on the Red Devils’ current central options.
He helped former club Paris Saint-Germain to five Ligue 1 titles and lifted Serie A in 2019-20 — though there are some concerns over previous reports of ill-discipline.
Ten Hag reportedly wants more than one addition, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Guido Rodriguez also on his radar.
Lazio midfielder Milinkovic-Savic, also 27, has been linked with a Premier League switch for several years and the Manchester Evening News believe an offer of £50m would likely be accepted.
Meanwhile, Spanish outlet AS say Real Betis star Rodriguez, 28, is well-liked by United chiefs and represents another cost-effective option at £15m.
United remain strongly interested in Frenkie de Jong but a move looks increasingly unlikely, with Chelsea also on the scene and Barcelona now keen to retain the Netherlands international.
In other news
West Ham are keen to bring in PSG’s German defender Thilo Kehrer, who is valued at around £17m according to the Mail.
Reports in Spain suggest both Arsenal and Liverpool are monitoring Villarreal’s Yeremy Pino, who has a £67m release clause in his current contract.
L’Equipe claim Monaco are ready to give 28-year-old defender Eric Bailly a route out of United with an offer expected imminently.
