Scout Report: What is Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot’s best position?

Manchester United need to bolster their midfield, and the performance against Brighton on the opening day of United’s Premier League campaign further evidenced that.

While the club’s focus since the beginning of May has been to secure Frenkie de Jong’s signature, it’s still unclear if the Dutchman will move to Old Trafford, especially with the recent interest from Chelsea. United have now identified Adrien Rabiot as a potential signing to add depth and quality to the midfield.

Date of Birth: 03/04/1995 (27)
Position: Central Midfield
Strong Foot: Left  
Height: 1.88 m (6ft 2in)

Who is Adrien Rabiot?

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At 27 years of age, Adrien Rabiot is a relatively well-known name in the world of football. The Frenchman joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2010 at the age of 15 and developed into an exciting player. Rabiot featured 227 times for the Parisian club, scoring 24 times. In the summer of 2019, Rabiot made the switch to Juventus on a free transfer. In his 3 years at the club, Rabiot has featured 129 times but looks set to depart Italy this summer.

According to reports, Manchester United are in talks to sign Rabiot, who’s now into the last year of his contract. Multiple reports claim that United have already reached an agreement with Juventus for the French midfielder. United are now in talks with the player’s entourage to find an agreement on personal terms and complete the transfer. The Frenchman reportedly does want to leave Juventus this summer after a poor 2021/22 individual campaign.

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While the Red Devils are pushing to sign Rabiot, Samuel Luckhurst reports that United still have not ended their pursuit of top target Frenkie de Jong. However, fall-back targets are being kept “warm” as a deal for the Dutchman is in the balance.

Strengths

Rabiot can operate as a box-to-box player and also as a no.6. One of his biggest strengths is his tackling ability. Last season, he averaged three tackles per game winning 2.17 of them on average – ranking him amongst the best in his position. He is also good physically and is decent aerially, two attributes which will help him a lot in the Premier League. He’s also a good ball carrier having averaged 4.75 progressive carries per 90 minutes played last season. Another one of his strengths is that he’s good at keeping the ball. He lost possession 8.3 times per game last season which is less than both Fred and Scott McTominay.

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Rabiot’s passing is also very good. While he only completed 83% of his passes in Serie A last season, he completed 90% of his passes in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 season. His passing range is also very impressive. Over the last three Serie A seasons, he’s completed over 70% of his attempted long-range passes. The Frenchman is also a competent dribbler and completed 77% of his attempted dribbles last season in Serie A. 

Weaknesses

Whilst Rabiot’s primary job isn’t to score and assist goals, it’s certainly an area he could improve on. He’s not very creative and has only created six big chances over the last 3 Serie A seasons – that’s 8 less than the amount that Frenkie de Jong has created over the last 3 Serie A seasons.

However, the biggest issue with Rabiot is his discipline. The Frenchman’s attitude splits opinion amongst fans, he has been accused of having poor conduct as well as lacking professionalism. Adding him to an already volatile United dressing room could be a recipe for disaster.

Where would he fit in?

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In Erik ten Hag’s system, Rabiot would play in the double pivot, most likely alongside United’s Brazilian midfielder Fred. However, if United can get a deal for De Jong over the line, it’s very possible that Rabiot could partner De Jong in midfield for United.

Rabiot is also capable of playing as a lone defensive midfielder. He’s not a specialist but could fill the role occasionally if ever needed.

Verdict

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While Adrien Rabiot would improve United’s midfield, there are better options available. He’s had a solid three years in Turin, but his performances were very underwhelming last season. Ten Hag has talked a lot about signing the right players and players like Rabiot are just not the type of players that United should be signing. It must be said if Ten Hag is the man pushing to sign him as reports suggest – United must get the deal done.

It is starting to feel more and more like United are on the verge of repeating previous mistakes made under old managers. The three new signings Ten Hag has made as well as De Jong are the exact type of players United should be signing. However, with the club now turning to Rabiot, it seems that Richard Arnold and John Murtough are now panicking and the club no longer sticking to the original plan made at the start of the window.

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