Man Utd dumbfounded as Arsenal named as ‘leading contenders’ in midfielder transfer battle

Manchester United have made signing a new midfielder one of their priorities and Paris-Saint Germain star Manuel Ugarte is reportedly their top target.

The Red Devils have already reached an agreement on personal terms with the Uruguayan international but PSG’s price demands have made things difficult.

Reports suggest the French giants want in excess of £50m for Ugarte and as a result, Man Utd’s sporting director Dan Ashworth has drawn up a four-man shortlist of alternative midfield targets.

One of those players is Adrien Rabiot, who is available on a free transfer after his contract with Juventus expired at the end of June.

The French international has plenty of experience at the highest level after having stints with PSG and Juve and is keen to test himself in the Premier League.

A versatile player, Rabiot can play as a left-midfielder, centre midfielder or defensive midfielder. He made 31 Serie A appearances last season and notched five goals and three assists.

Rabiot could prove to be a valuable addition to Erik ten Hag’s squad amid the uncertainty surrounding Scott McTominay, but fresh reports suggest that Arsenal pose a serious threat to their chances of signing him, while Liverpool have also been linked.

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Arsenal push to sign Man Utd target

According to reports from Italy, Arsenal have emerged as one of the ‘leading contenders’ to sign Rabiot this summer in a major twist.

This comes just days after Rabiot’s mother and agent Veronique confirmed that she has been in talks with ‘many clubs’, one of which appears to be the Gunners.

It’s claimed that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are also keeping a close eye on Rabiot’s situation but Diego Simeone’s side are focusing on a deal for Chelsea star Conor Gallagher.

AC Milan have also held talks with Rabiot but are understood to have turned their attention to Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana.

Rabiot may be available on a free transfer but he won’t be a cheap addition due to his wage demands. As we exclusively revealed on Tuesday, he is expecting a £200,000 wage.

Arsenal and Man Utd have the financial capacity to match Rabiot’s salary demands but the same cannot be said for teams in Italy.

Rabiot would find it difficult to turn down a move to Real Madrid should they come calling but TEAMtalk understands he is very open to the prospect of playing in the Premier League.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal submit a concrete contract offer to Rabiot in the coming days, as reports suggest.

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