Manchester United 'firmly in the mix' to sign French international who was a 'big Liverpool fan' as a kid: Reports

Manchester United are reportedly in pole position to sign Juventus midfielder and self-proclaimed Liverpool fan Adrien Rabiot this summer.

Rabiot, 27, has established himself as a crucial first-team starter for the Bianconeri in the ongoing 2022-23 season. So far, he has scored nine goals and laid out four assists in 34 matches across all competitions.

A left-footed press-resistant operator, the 35-cap France international was close to securing a permanent move to Manchester United for £16 million last August. But, back in 2017, he had told RMC Sport that he was a Liverpool supporter during his childhood. He elaborated:

"There are a lot of very good leagues. It's also enriching to go elsewhere, but for the moment I'm happy at PSG. I would love to play in the Premier League. There's not necessarily any club in particular, even though when I was young, I was a big Liverpool fan."

Speaking to TEAMtalk, transfer guru Graeme Bailey provided insight into Rabiot's situation with just three months left on his current deal at Juventus. He said:

"Adrien Rabiot's situation is fascinating, he is a very interesting option for a lot of clubs. He gets a lot of criticism from fans, mainly online, due to his pay packet – which is certainly not his fault. But within the game, he is very highly thought of. Manchester United went for him in January and they remain firmly in the mix, as do Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United."

Sharing his thoughts on Rabiot's future, Bailey continued:

"If he does indeed have the desire to move, he will not be short of interest. But that is one of the main issues here, all the interested parties in England are not 100% convinced that he wants to leave Italy or, at the very least, that he wants to play in the Premier League in the future. Staying at Juventus is a realistic option, but he could be one of the best Bosman transfers this summer."

Manchester United, Liverpool and other PL clubs warned against signing France star

Speaking to ESPN FC, reputed journalist Gabriele Marcotti issued a warning to the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool about Adrien Rabiot. He said:

"I think at Juventus mostly, he's been really poor. Until this season when all of a sudden, and I think it coincided with an uptick with the French national team as well, he's shown a ton of personality, he's shown a ton of responsibility.

"What you have to weigh up for anybody signing Rabiot is, is this kind of a one-season wonder for him where all the bits come together, or has he turned the corner?"

Rabiot, who has helped Juventus lift three trophies so far, has scored 15 goals and laid out 10 assists in 162 appearances for the Serie A outfit.