Rangers Can Land Davies Upgrade In £2m Transfer Swoop

It has been a busy summer of transfer business for Glasgow Rangers as they have brought in seven new signings to bolster their squad ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

Who have Rangers signed this summer?

Michael Beale has attempted to improve his defence by signing Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, and Leon Balogun – who only left the club after his first spell in 2022.

The 42-year-old head coach has also added to his midfield and forward options with Abdallah Sima, Kieran Dowell, Cyriel Dessers, and Sam Lammers.

This influx of players has caused the club to consider possible sales and it has been reported that centre-back Ben Davies, alongside Glen Kamara, Borna Barisic, and Ianis Hagi, is one of those who could be on their way out of Ibrox if an acceptable offer comes in.

Beale could, therefore, be on the lookout for someone to come in as an upgrade on the former Liverpool enforcer, who signed from the Reds at the start of last season.

The Gers have been linked with a swoop to sign Arsenal central defender Auston Trusty, who has been touted with a possible price tag of £2m amid interest from English Championship side Ipswich Town, and he could be the player the ex-Chelsea coach is looking for.

How good is Auston Trusty?

He is yet to test himself in the Scottish Premiership but his performances on loan at Birmingham City last season suggest that the potential is there for him to be an upgrade on Davies for the Light Blues.

The left-footed ace, who can comfortably play out from the back on his stronger foot in the same role that the English defender is deployed in for the Gers, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 44 Championship outings.

Rangers defender Ben Davies.

Connor Goldson (7.29) was the only Rangers centre-back who averaged a higher Sofascore rating in the league last term, as Davies, John Souttar, and Leon King all averaged scores of 6.96 or lower.

The former Liverpool battler recorded a rating of 6.94 in his 27 Premiership matches for the club during his debut year in Scotland, whilst playing in a dominant team that only lost four times.

Whereas, Trusty averaged a higher rating in spite of Birmingham having struggled throughout the season. They lost 21 of their 46 league games, with only 14 wins, and the USA international was still able to produce consistently brilliant performances.

The 24-year-old brute made 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game for his side, in comparison to Davies' 1.7, and that is more than any Gers player, across all positions, managed in the league last term.

Trusty, who was lauded as "incredible" by Birmingham teammate George Friend, could provide more quality in the average standard of his performances whilst being capable of winning possession back for the team more frequently than the ex-Preston North End defender.

He is also three years younger and could, therefore, provide greater long-term value and have more room to grow and develop under Beale's coaching.

This means that the talented American titan could be an immediate upgrade on Davies whilst also having time on his side to make the gap between them even bigger over the years to come.

ICC clears Eranga's bowling action

Sri Lanka fast bowler Shaminda Eranga’s bowling action has been cleared and he can resume bowling in international cricket. Eranga underwent a reassessment of his action at the ICC accredited testing centre in Chennai with the conclusion that the amount of elbow extension in his standard deliveries was within the 15-degree level allowed by the ICC.Eranga’s bowling action was found illegal in June last year after it was reported following the second Test in England. His action was assessed in Loughborough on June 6 when it was found illegal.Incidentally, he was suspended from bowling in international cricket on the same day as he was hospitalised for experiencing an elevated heartbeat.Eranga had played the third Test against England after his action was reported and the subsequent two ODIs against Ireland in June. He has not played any competitive cricket since then.

Uthappa propels Knight Riders to No. 1

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:36

Bangar: ‘Uthappa deflated the Tahir threat’

A turbo-charged innings from Robin Uthappa and a relatively more sedate one from Gautam Gambhir helped Kolkata Knight Riders overhaul 182 with 11 balls to spare and reclaim the top spot in the league. Their 158-run partnership – the second highest for KKR in the IPL – ruthlessly exposed the limitations of a Rising Pune attack that was without Ben Stokes, who was nursing a niggle.In Stokes’ absence, there was a case for Rising Pune to pick either New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson or Australian legspinner Adam Zampa. Instead, they opted for South African batsman Faf du Plessis, who did not even get to bat.Five of Rising Pune’s six bowlers went for over eight runs an over – and three went for over 10. Pune’s fielding was as slipshod as their bowling. Uthappa, who was dropped on 12, moved to his highest IPL score of 87 off 47 balls at a strike-rate of 185.10. Gambhir, who was dropped on 32, went on to make 62. By the time they were dismissed in successive overs, the game was all but over. It was IPL debutant Darren Bravo who applied the finishing touches with a cover-driven four.Tripathi thrives in the Powerplay
The first over of the match, which had four plays-and-misses and an outside edge that burst through Uthappa’s gloves, turned out to be a false dawn for KKR. Rahul Tripathi was scoreless when Uthappa dropped that difficult chance. Yusuf Pathan then shelled a simpler catch to reprieve Tripathi in the seventh over. By then the opener had given Rising Pune their second successive fifty-run opening stand.He darted around the crease and manufactured swinging room to hit a variety of drives, including an inside-out four over covers off Sunil Narine. In all, Tripathi took two of KKR’s key bowlers – Narine and Umesh Yadav – for 28 runs off 13 balls. His early assault allowed Ajinkya Rahane to play himself in at the other end.Dhoni doesn’t start slowly
Before this match, Dhoni had scored just 27 runs off 54 balls from Narine in T20s – 3 off 13 balls in his previous game against KKR. But when Dhoni arrived on Wednesday night, Narine had only one over left. Gambhir held him back, and Dhoni pounced on Piyush Chawla, hitting him for back-to-back boundaries. Dhoni then pulled Kuldeep Yadav for a six and took Pune to 140 for 2 in 16 overs. Gambhir turned to Narine for the next over, but Dhoni saw him off.The rousing finish
Kuldeep brought KKR back by removing both Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary, who was sent ahead of du Plessis, with googlies. KKR, however, were without their previous match-winner Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was rested for this clash. Chris Woakes and Umesh served up a volley of length balls, and Smith and Dan Christian clattered 30 off the last two overs to lift Pune to 182 for 5.The partnership that won it
KKR lost Narine, who opened again, in the third over of the chase when Dhoni collected a throw from Shardul Thakur and dexterously flicked it onto the stumps. Imran Tahir induced a swirling top edge from Uthappa in his first over, but Jaydev Unadkat dropped it, falling backwards at deep midwicket. Uthappa soon got stuck into rookie offspinner Washington Sundar, gloriously lofting him for back-to-back sixes down the ground. Tahir wasn’t spared either – he was driven down the ground for a six. At the other end, Gambhir simply nurdled the ball into the gaps and let Uthappa do his thing.Uthappa soon unfurled dabs and sweeps, and secured runs in the other V – behind square. With every boundary, KKR highlighted the lack of depth in the Pune attack. The weakness in fielding was also exposed when Sundar put down Gambhir at short fine leg.Having watched his frontline bowlers regularly disappear to the boundary, Smith turned to Tripathi’s occasional medium-pace. He fared just as poorly, conceding 12 off his only over. In the first six overs KKR made 45 for 1. In their next six, they bashed 78 for 0. Game over.

Crystal Palace Transfer News; £21m Offer Submitted To Sign "Mountain"

Crystal Palace have tabled an opening offer in the hope of bringing Torino defender Perr Schuurs to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Perr Schuurs?

Schuurs is a centre-back who currently plays his football at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium having moved there last summer from Ajax where he quickly became a regular feature of Ivan Juric’s first team, clocking up 33 appearances during his debut season.

The Dutchman’s contract in the Serie A isn’t set to expire until 2026, but having emerged as the Italian outfit’s top-performing defensive player in his opening campaign, his standout displays have grabbed the attention of Roy Hodgson and those at Palace.

The Daily Mail recently reported that the Eagles have ramped up their interest in the 23-year-old, though if the following update is to be believed, they have already taken their admiration one step further by submitting a bid to bring him to Selhurst Park.

Are Crystal Palace signing Schuurs?

According to Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace have made a "first offer" for Schuurs and are "starting to make concrete moves" for their target. The SE25 outfit have, for now, tabled €25m (£21m) even though the defender's asking price is €30m (£25m), and it's stated that the player has "registered the interest".

Torino's 6 foot 2 colossus, however, is holding on to see if more clubs will join the race before saying yes to a move to the Premier League.

Netherlands defender Perr Schuurs.

Where could Schuurs fit in under Hodgson?

Crystal Palace will be aware that they could lose Marc Guehi this summer who is being pursued by Tottenham Hotspur, so Hodgson will need a replacement should he depart, and having been dubbed a centre-back “mountain” by journalist Josh Bunting, Schuurs could be the perfect successor.

The Nieuwstadt native averaged 3.2 clearances and two aerial wins per league game last season, via WhoScored, so he's a real rock at the heart of the backline, not to mention that he recorded an 88.2% pass success rate which was higher than any of the regular starters at Palace, highlighting his calmness and composure in possession.

Schuurs, who has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in defensive midfield alongside his usual role, also likes to contribute at the opposite end of the pitch having provided two assists and scored one goal himself during the previous term, as per Transfermarkt, so he’s an incredibly well-rounded player and would be an asset for the boss to have in his squad.

Farke Could Find His Next Isak At Leeds In £20k-p/w ‘Rocket’

One of the most challenging situations of the summer transfer window at Leeds United will be convincing touted forward Wilfried Gnonto to remain at Elland Road following the club's relegation from the Premier League.

The Championship side are expected to lose a wealth of players after plummeting from the top flight, but a sure-fire way to ensure that a title challenge is mounted would be retaining the Italy international's services.

And while the Whites are managerless at present after dismissing both Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia this term before making a short-term swoop for the stoic Sam Allardyce in the closing weeks of the campaign, a shrewd appointment for a Championship specialist might just be forthcoming.

Indeed, according to the Daily Mail, Farke has emerged as the leading candidate for the managerial role in West Yorkshire after being dismissed from German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach several weeks ago.

Scott Parker and Patrick Vieira have also both been placed on the short-list, but given Farke's experience in forging two promotion-winning campaigns from the second tier with Norwich City, he could be the man for the job.

How would Gnonto perform under Daniel Farke?

The 46-year-old boss has led 138 matches in the second tier, winning 71 matches and amassing 182 points at a rate of 1.82 points per match.

The prospective appointment will be tethered to concerns over his suitability in the Premier League – should Leeds succeed in their seasonal endeavour at the first time of asking – given that Farke boasts a miserable 0.53 PPM in the English top-flight, with just six victories from 49 outings.

But that is largely down to Norwich's mediocrity at the highest level, candidly – the Canaries have suffered relegation across all four of their previous Premier League campaigns.

An offence-minded, gegenpressing coach, Farke's attractive philosophy would suit Leeds to a tee and is exactly what the squad, and indeed fanbase, needs to spark some optimism after a dismal year, and such a style could prompt touted talent Gnonto to stay.

daniel-farke-norwich-leeds-united-manager-live-updates-gossip-marcelo-bielsa-49ers

The 19-year-old "diamond" – as he has been called by talent scout Antonio Mango – impressed for the Whites last term and posted four goals and assists apiece from his dynamic role on the left flank, with his exploits earning him a regular role in Italy's international set-up, where he has earned ten caps and scored one goal.

Farke has a history of managing prosperous forwards, salient names being Marcus Thuram, Teemu Pukki and Alexander Isak, and with the likes of Everton interested in making a move for Gnonto this summer, Farke will be determined to keep hold of his £20k-per-week man and ensure that his past management of Isak does not repeat itself.

Indeed, Newcastle United's club-record £63m striker played just one solitary match under Farke's stewardship at Borussia Dortmund II, and Farke will want to ensure that another "special" – as Gnonto was praised by Michael Skubala – prospect is not whisked away from him early on once again.

Especially considering the 23-year-old has just plundered ten goals and two assists from just 17 Premier League starts during an injury-stricken campaign.

Praised as a "pocket rocket" by pundit Tam McManus, Gnonto could use the forthcoming campaign at Elland Road as a chance to develop his skills and star for the creme-de-la-creme of the Championship, spearheading a charge back to Premier League competition and unleashing his refined skills at the highest level once again.

Fabrizio Romano Drops Big Man United Takeover Update

Manchester United have received one final bid from Sheikh Jassim and the Qatari group before they decide to walk away from a potential deal.

What's the latest with Man United's potential takeover?

On the back of the weekend, United's 2022/23 campaign came to a close with their defeat in the FA Cup final marking their final game of the season.

Despite it being an encouraging first campaign under Erik ten Hag, defeat at Wembley Stadium will leave a sour taste to end the campaign on.

But matters off the pitch continue to bubble away in the background with the potential sale of the Red Devils still not resolved ahead of the summer transfer window.

Indeed, the Glazer family put the club on the market back in November and now it seems as they could be willing to take it back off and keep their stakes in the club.

It is now believed the Qatari party have lodged one final bid to get their hands on the Premier League giants in a 'take it or leave it' proposal to the Glazers.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided the latest on where the Middle Eastern party stands on the potential takeover of United:

"Crucial hours because we know there is this final bid from Sheikh Jassim – the Qatari group – for Man United till Friday. It's take it or leave it.

"The bid has been made while INEOS group with Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still negotiating to buy Manchester United. From Sheikh Jassim there is a deadline for the next hours, I would say, waiting on Manchester United owners, the Glazers, to decide as soon as possible."

How much have the Qatari's bid for Man United?

It has been reported that a number of bids have been submitted for the Premier League club over recent months with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim believed to be the main two parties.

Indeed, it had even been suggested that the English businessman was the leading candidate to potentially take over at Old Trafford last month.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's offer is believed to keep the Glazer family involved at the club, whereas, Sheikh Jassim's proposal for a 100% takeover of the club.

Erik ten Hag

However, the money involved in the proposed Qatari bid is reportedly world-record-beating figures with suggestions in April claiming the valuation to be in the region of £5bn.

Now over a month on from this reported bid, Sheikh Jassim is believed to have proposed his final offer for the club which will surely have United fans nervous over the future of the club.

Should the Glazers bat away this latest proposal from Qatar, it would appear as if they will be sticking around Old Trafford in some capacity for the foreseeable future.

There is the belief that they would be open to keeping ahold of the club to increase their return on investment, but if the Qatari bi is rejected then the only other offer on the table will be that of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Totttenham: "Top Class" Spurs Star Now Eyeing Summer Exit

Tottenham Hotspur wing-back Ivan Perisic now wants to leave Spurs this summer, and specifically has a desire to re-join former side Inter Milan.

Who could leave Spurs this summer?

This summer could be one of the most crucial at Spurs in recent memory as chairman Daniel Levy attempts, and arguably fails, to spin many different plates.

The north Londoners, having failed to secure European football for next season, are also still on the lookout for a new manager after parting company with Antonio Conte over two months ago.

Tottenham are also said to be chasing a sporting director to replace the departed Fabio Paratici, who was forced to resign from his managing director role following a 30-month worldwide ban from football.

Amidst all of this work, Spurs are in danger of falling in behind in the transfer market, even if some reports suggest they're already pushing for James Maddison of Leicester City.

To balance the books and fund transfers of this ilk, the Lilywhites will need to offload squad members, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso being among the names who could depart.

ivan-perisic-tottenham-hotspur-unleash-everton

As well as the aforementioned trio, a report by Calciomercato from Italy now suggests that 2022 summer signing Perisic may soon follow.

According to their information, the Croatia legend wants to leave Spurs this summer, and is desperate to re-join Inter – who have just reached a Champions League final without him.

The outlet claims Perisic "pushes" to wear the Nerazzurri jersey again, and the 34-year-old has a "desire to say goodbye to London" after just one year.

The versatile player has apparently maintained good relations with Inter in recent months, with it now looking like he is eyeing a San Siro reunion.

Who is Ivan Perisic?

Signed by Spurs in the summer of 2022, Perisic formed one of the major contingent of signings bought to back Conte for the 22/23 campaign.

Thereafter, the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich star went on to make 34 Premier League appearances under Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason (WhoScored).

He also ranks in Tottenham's top ten best-performers by average match rating for last season, having registered more assists (8) than any other Spurs player in the division (WhoScored).

Perisic, called a "top class player" by journalist Siavoush Fallahi, arguably impressed and justified that tag with his contributions going forward.

Only fellow wing-back Pedro Porro averaged more crosses into the box than Perisic, and going by these numbers, Inter may well be interested in taking their former star back.

Glam set 181 after van der Gugten's nine

Glamorgan’s seamers picked up Leicestershire’s last eight second-innings wickets for just 85 runs to put the visitors in a strong position to go on and win their Division Two Specsavers County Championship match

ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2016
ScorecardAngus Robson made 72 but Leicestershire could only set a target of 181•Getty ImagesGlamorgan’s seamers picked up Leicestershire’s last eight second-innings wickets for just 85 runs to put the visitors in a strong position to go on and win their Division Two Specsavers County Championship match at Grace Road.Needing 181 to win, Glamorgan did lose an early wicket, pacy left-arm seamer Dieter Klein trapping Nick Selman lbw for just 2 before bad light saw play ended 15 overs early.The morning had seen Leicestershire openers Angus Robson and Paul Horton extend their second-innings partnership to 123 before being parted. Robson hit three fours in a single over from Timm Van der Gugten to bring up his ninth half-century of the season before Horton was drawn into pushing at a Craig Meschede delivery and edged to second slip.On the same score, Robson attempted to cut a short ball from Lukas Carey but succeeded only in edging to first slip, where Will Bragg held the catch.Neil Dexter and Mark Cosgrove added 75 for the third wicket before the lCosgrove, having survived two vehement appeals for catches behind the wicket, drove airily at a Meschede inswinger delivered from around the wicket and had his off stump knocked back.Ned Eckersley played two glorious back-foot drives through the off side before clipping a Michael Hogan leg-stump half-volley straight into the hands of square leg, and Mark Pettini, having suffered a first-ball duck in the first innings, had made only 1 when he chopped a wide delivery from Van der Gugten on to his stumps.Harry Dearden, making his home debut for Leicestershire, played solidly in going to 16 before being trapped leg before on the back foot to a van der Gugten inswinger, and the tail quickly followed, with Hogan picking up two wickets in two balls. Dexter was the last man to go, looking to force a wide delivery into the off side and like Pettini, edging the ball into his stumps, to give van der Gugten match figures of 9 for 133.Klien’s dismissal of Selman indicated Glamorgan might not find their target easy to reach, but with the ball continuing to swing Leicestershire were frustrated when light forced an early close.

Warner stresses patient approach

David Warner, patient? In Sri Lanka, he knows he needs to be. Almost two years since his last Test hundred overseas, Warner is emphasising long innings and strike rotation as the keys to Australia’s success in Sri Lanka, and also in India next year.Not since a century in the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October 2014 has Warner topped three figures away from home ports, scoring minimally in the West Indies last year and then squandering plenty of starts in the Ashes as he tried to adapt his game. While conscious of not losing his natural attacking instincts, Warner said there would need to be more nuance to the way the Australia’s top order confronts Sri Lanka’s spin bowlers in particular.”The challenge for us is about batting long periods of time,” Warner said in Pallekele. “We know that’s what wins games in these conditions. You’ve got to be able to bat well into the next day and that’s the focus for us. It’s about adapting to these conditions, adapting to the things that are thrown at us and we have to take those challenges. It’s not about challenging specific bowlers. There are times in games when you might need to apply some pressure.”You’ve got to be patient enough. You’ve got to rotate the strike. Your patience comes with hitting your four-balls, your boundary balls. They’re the ones you’ve got to really wait on. That’s what we’re talking about with patience in this game, especially over here. You’ve got to bite the bullet.”[Rotating the strike] is the key, especially with a right-hand, left-hand combination, to try to mix it up a bit with the bowlers. These days a lot of teams either have a left-arm orthodox [spinner] or a right-arm offie. You’ve always got to try to rotate the strike and that’s the most important thing when it comes to playing spin or playing fast bowlers as well. Try to put the bowlers off a little bit.”Asked about his lack of hundreds away from home in recent times, Warner said he would be trying to balance attack and defence. “I always try my best,” he said. “If I have to bat for a day or a day-and-a-half, I go out there and I try to do that. But the element of my game is to try to score runs. I try to apply pressure on the bowlers and that has always been my game plan. That’s what I always set out to do and I probably won’t change that. It has been a while since I’ve scored a hundred outside the country. We’ve got to start well, bat long periods of time.”Tactically, Warner is expecting the series to be fought on an attritional basis at times, as the Australians try to adapt to a slower Asian Test match tempo while Sri Lanka set defensive fields and seek to prey on the visitors’ patience. “You’re going to have to be prepared for some boring fields. Both teams are going to use that,” he said. “You’re going to have your sweepers out there, especially for the spinners. You are going to have your fielders in the deep, so you have to be prepared to get your runs in ones and twos.”Whoever is the fittest team will probably win the games. It can be like that in these conditions. Unless you’re going to blast them out of the park with the bat or your quicks somehow manage to go through them on low tracks, it is going to be a big grind. It is going to be a big grind. That’s where the spinners play a big role.”Warner believes the IPL experience has helped him approach spin better•BCCI

Warner excelled as a captain earlier this year when he led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first IPL title. As deputy to Steven Smith for Australia, he is looking to provide an example to players further down the order, making use of the Indian experience he has gleaned over the past decade. Tellingly, he said that practice pitches were often more useful than the strips used for matches.”Times have changed. It’s a bit different,” Warner said of how his methods against spin had evolved. “That’s the fortunate thing for us to go over and play IPL. I’ve been over for eight years, nine years in a row now. It’s the experience you gain from training on the wickets there, you can actually use that to your advantage. Yes it’s a white ball, but still the conditions and the surfaces, once they deteriorate, get quite challenging.”In that form of the game, you have to try to score. So it gives you a bit of an advantage to actually, one, look to score but then improvise as well when you play Test cricket. The game’s about moving forward and we try to get on with the game and try to score. It gives you an advantage to look for those scoring options rather than just trying to survive. But then again, it does suit you in certain areas to get back in your crease and use your feet to survive as well.”Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe have trained with near-new balls in the nets at Pallakele, and Warner said there would be times when both sides throw the ball to the spinners early on. “A lot of teams have done that in the past in subcontinent conditions – we also saw that with Pakistan in the UAE,” he said.”I think the harder the ball, the more inconsistency with spin and variation and that’s probably the main thing that skippers like to use. Plus the bounce. I think you’ll see that more in the second innings of the game; in the first innings, you probably won’t see it too much unless we’re trying to dry up one end for both teams.”Warner is entering the series with a fractured finger in the final stages of healing after he broke it during the ODI series in the West Indies. This is added to the thumb he has broken more than once, meaning he needs special reinforcement in his gloves and can expect to be dealing with pain when he bats and also, at times, in the field. Usman Khawaja has been practising to field in the slips, but Warner will be closer to the bat for the spinners, either at leg slip or second slip.”It’s going well at the moment. A couple of times when I’ve hit on the toe [of the bat] it’s been a bit painful,” Warner said. “I’ve experienced that before with the thumb but just with the game moving forward I’ll do the same thing I did with the thumb – put a guard over the top that’s underneath the glove and has a bit of silicon feel to it and stops a bit of vibration. But I should be ready to go.”

Man United Linked With "Incredible" £150k-p/w Star

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United are still "internally" discussing Adrien Rabiot as a summer target.

What are the latest MUFC transfer rumours?

The Red Devils moved one step closer to securing Champions League football this weekend as they picked up a 2-0 win in the Premier League against Wolves.

Of course, if they can finish in the top four, that will likely make the club much more attractive for potential signings, as well as freeing up more funds to splash on targets.

And it seems as though, United already have their eye on one player in Rabiot – in fact, they've had their eye on the Juventus man for some time.

Indeed, in a new update shared on his YouTube channel, Romano has now revealed the latest on the club's transfer interest.

He explained (4:37): “This season he's doing incredible things at Juventus as one of the best midfielders in Serie A – Adrien Rabiot, for sure.

"And so, Erik ten Hag saw something in Adrien Rabiot before everyone. So he wanted Rabiot at Manchester United last summer, they had an agreement on the contract details, on the personal terms, with the player's side.

"But what we can say is that Adrien Rabiot remains a player of interest of Manchester United. At the moment, it is not something agreed, it is just a name they appreciate and they've discussed internally.

"Also Adrien Rabiot is asking for some time before making his final decision on the future. He has a contract proposal from Juventus because they want to extend this contract.

"But the dream of Adrien Rabiot, as always said here, is to play in the Premier League. So he wants Premier League move as a priority."

Will Rabiot join Man United?

As Romano alludes to, the Red Devils were heavily linked with Rabiot last summer and Sky Sports even reported a deal had been agreed before it eventually collapsed.

Adrien-Rabiot

Well, now 12 months later, his £150k-p/w contract is set to expire in June and so the Red Devils could pick him up without having to pay a transfer fee.

Seeing as he's had a pretty impressive season – looking like a man "reborn" for France as they made the World Cup final, while also starring for Juventus with the highest average WhoScored rating (7.15) in Serie A this season across the team – it looks as though this could end up being a great deal for Man United.

What's more, if the Premier League really is his "dream" this could be a relatively easy transfer to complete.

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