Transfer Gossip: Man Utd get brilliant opportunity to sign Ten Hag target on free transfer from Euro giant; Man City vulnerable to big PSG raid

Erik ten Hag, Manchester United manager, waves to fans ahead of the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag

Manchester United have been handed a transfer lifeline as one of Europe’s most iconic clubs will allow an Erik ten Hag objective to leave for free this summer, Manchester City are at risk of losing an important star to Paris Saint-Germain, while Tuesday’s Transfer Gossip claims Unai Emery could axe six Aston Villa players.

MAN UTD CAN GO BACK IN FOR JUVENTUS STAR

Man Utd could sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot for no transfer fee after the Italian giants made a huge decision regarding his future, according to a report.

Ten Hag hoped to sign Rabiot in the summer transfer window to bolster his midfield options. Man Utd were in touch with both Rabiot’s agent, his mother Veronique, and Juve as they looked to agree a deal.

However, talks collapsed as Man Utd refused to meet the player’s wage demands. Rabiot also had concerns about whether the Red Devils were the right club for him.

But the transfer could now go through a year later. Man Utd look set to reduce their wage bill by letting up to six players leave at the end of the current campaign. This would allow them to spend more money on Rabiot’s wages and therefore meet his requests.

Plus, the team has improved massively since Ten Hag took control and could end up winning some silverware for the first time since 2017. They remain in the Europa League and FA Cup, while they are also through to the Carabao Cup final and fighting towards the top of the Premier League table. This progress will help them to change Rabiot’s mind.

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport have provided a big update on Rabiot’s future. They claim he is one of five Juve players who will be released in the summer.

Juve need a fresh start after their entire board of directors resigned in late November and they were handed a 15-point penalty in January.

Juve chiefs have told those within the club that they will now take part in a more sustainable business model, which involves getting some of the biggest earners off their books.

Adrien Rabiot among five to depart Juve

As such, Rabiot will be allowed to leave on a free once his contract expires in June. Angel Di Maria, Juan Cuadrado and Alex Sandro can all go as well. The loan move for Leandro Paredes, meanwhile, will not be made permanent.

Due to Juve’s decision, Man Utd now have a sublime opportunity to get a top Ten Hag target for free. They simply need to sort out a contract with Rabiot and his mother.

Ten Hag does already have strong midfield options, including Casemiro, Fred, Marcel Sabitzer and Bruno Fernandes. Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek are in his squad too, though they are all recovering from injury currently.

Sabitzer has only joined on loan from Bayern Munich until the summer, while there is growing speculation McTominay could leave Old Trafford.

If those players do depart, then a swoop for Rabiot would make sense. He would be able to compete with Ten Hag’s other midfield options for a place in the starting eleven.

MAN CITY STAR WANTED BY PSG

Some City players are facing uncertain futures after the club was charged with more than 100 allegations of flouting Financial Fair Play regulations, with a potential penalty being a serious points deduction.

Creative midfielder Bernardo Silva has been open about his desire to take part in a new challenge in the past and this summer could represent the perfect time to move on.

According to French source Le10Sport, PSG chief Luis Campos is a big fan of Silva and hopes to take him to the Parc des Princes at the end of the season.

The pursuit is also being driven by PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. He has a great relationship with the City man following their time together at Monaco between 2015 and 2017.

Mbappe believes having Silva in midfield can help him score more goals and help PSG to become even more successful. Due to this, he is pushing for Campos to complete a deal with City.

PSG knew City did not want to sell the Portuguese in recent transfer windows. But they reckon things will be different come the summer, especially if a potential points deduction hits the Citizens.

And should PSG make a bid, Silva will likely make his intentions known. While he likes playing for City, he hopes to soon represent a different European powerhouse.

Silva’s City deal runs until summer 2025, while transfer market value him at €80m (£71.4m). It will be interesting to see how much money PSG put on the table when they start the bidding.

SIX UNDER THREAT AT ASTON VILLA

Unai Emery could reportedly offload as many as six Aston Villa players in the summer as part of his aim to revamp the senior squad.

Emery has already begun the rebuilding process, allowing six stars to leave Villa Park in January. Danny Ings was sold to West Ham for an initial £12m, while Frederic Guilbert was sold to Strasbourg. Cameron Archer, Morgan Sanson and Marvelous Nakamba all left the club on loan, while Ludwig Augustinsson was sent back to Spain. Jan Bednarek, meanwhile, was recalled from his loan by Southampton.

Emery will not stop there though as he wants to change the Villa squad further. Birmingham Mail have named the five players who will be allowed to leave permanently at the end of the season.

Young winger Jaden Philogene, currently on loan at Cardiff, may be the first to go. Emery has said he can be sold if the right bid comes in. The funds made from Philogene’s departure will go towards bringing a new, more experienced winger in.

Striker Keinan Davis is also on the chopping block. He is on loan at Watford this term after a permanent Nottingham Forest move fell through. Forest were put off by Villa’s demands last summer.

But Emery is determined to get Davis off his wage bill so he can bring new attackers in. As such, Villa are likely to reduce their demands for the 24-year-old in the hope of selling him to a Championship suitor.

Centre-back Kortney Hause, like Davis, is on loan at Watford. But Emery does not see him getting into the first team on his return to Villa and he will therefore be allowed to go.

The final two players up for sale are ones that have already been mentioned, Sanson and Nakamba. Emery got his wish in January, shipping them off to Strasbourg and Luton on a temporary basis.

But the manager will be hit with the same problem once they return to the West Midlands in the summer. This time around, he will ask Villa chiefs to put the duo on the transfer market.

Then, Villa can field potential offers for Sanson and Nakamba and axe them if a suitable offer arrives.