Is Adrien Rabiot the answer to Man Utd's midfield issues?

 

That it took a 2-1 opening weekend defeat to Brighton to convince Manchester United to do more in the transfer market speaks to a lack of direction the club have taken in the off-season. The ongoing doomed pursuit of Frenkie de Jong means United went into the new campaign with a deep lying midfield duo of Scott McTominay and Fred. That proved costly in a disappointing display on Sunday. 

 

Fred was hauled off shortly after the break, returning a WhoScored rating of just 5.86 in the process, that the lowest of all central midfielders on the opening weekend of the season. Scott McTominay, meanwhile, hardly fared much better as the loss highlighted a glaring weakness in the middle of the park. 

 

It's fair to say United lack a ball progressor from deep. The push to sign De Jong will aid that weakness, but as the saga drags on, United back themselves further into a corner. As such, the Premier League side are believed to be targetting alternatives in order to, at the very least, add bodies to the middle of the park. 

 

That has taken them to Adrien Rabiot. The France international has just a year left to run on his current deal with Juventus and has long been linked with a Premier League move. The Old Lady are believed to be open to letting Rabiot leave this summer as they look to secure a fee for the 27-year-old. A free signing from PSG back in 2019, it's fair to say the midfielder hasn't lived up to expectations, so much so that Juventus supporters would be happy to see the back of the France international. 

 

Having also linked with a move for Vitinha before he secured a summer move to PSG, it's clear United are looking to land a central midfielder who is good in tight spots and can progress the play. De Jong had the best dribble success rate in La Liga last season, while Vitinha topped this metric in Liga Bwin. 

 

As you can guess, Rabiot (77.2%) had the best dribble success rate in Serie A last season. Erik ten Hag utilised a ball carrier during his time as Ajax boss, with Ryan Gravenberch shouldering this responsibility, and he clearly wants similar at United. Whether Rabiot is really what United need in midfield right now, however, remains to be seen. 

 

 

The priority in midfield for United this summer should be one to protect the defence. McFred don't offer enough resolve to ease the pressure on the backline and this was evident against Brighton. In truth, it's been clear for a long time now. Aurelien Tchouameni was a rumoured target before United lost out to Real Madrid in the race for the Frenchman's services, while Ibrahim Sangare, another who was reportedly on the club's radrer, signed a new deal with PSV over the weekend. 

 

The pair would have immediately elevated the club's midfield, yet are two targets who they have missed out on. A ball winning central midfielder should be the focus for United now, and Rabiot just isn't that intimidating presence they need in the middle of the park. Can he play the role? To an extent, after all he did put up solid averages of 2.5 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per 90 in Serie A last season, and was dribbled past just 0.7 times per 90, but then 12 of his 28 starts did also come from the left to skew the numbers somewhat.

 

A lack of athleticism wasn't capitalised upon as regularly in Serie A last season as it would be in the Premier League, and this could prove an issue for United. They need a central midfielder who can both break up play and cover the ground in front of the defence with ease, the latter demand of which Rabiot might struggle with. 

 

If he is the primary defensive midfielder target this summer with the De Jong transfer dragging and dragging, then it could prove a long six months or so for United. However, if he is one of a number of attainable targets for the club over the next few weeks, than Rabiot could prove a handy addition to the squad. He is a player able to set the tempo should the defensive burden be lessened, and if Ten Hag is prepared to stick with a 4-3-3 system, then Rabiot on the left of the midfield trio could work well. 

 

That does still leave a hole in midfield that neither Fred nor McTominay can fill, and if Rabiot is viewed as the answer, then Ten Hag's debut campaign at the club is unlikely to be a successful one. The midfield would be too overrun, as it was against Brighton on Sunday, and the defeat gave a clearer indication that the rebuild will be tougher than some at the club would care to admit.

Is Adrien Rabiot the answer to Man Utd's midfield issues?