Man United target was “upset” after being criticised by MUTV pundit, deal broke down afterwards

One Manchester United target was “upset” after being criticised by a pundit on the club’s MUTV channel and a deal broke down afterwards.

The Reds had a successful first transfer window under INEOS this summer, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for United when trying to sign players in recent years.

According to The Athletic, during Erik ten Hag’s first summer at the club, those at Old Trafford believed they were close to striking a £15 million deal for Adrien Rabiot.

However, during that summer, former Red Lou Macari questioned the potential transfer on MUTV, the club’s TV channel.

“I’d never really heard of him. Clubs spend millions of pounds scouting players across Europe, but nobody else has made a move for this fella. Why do you think this is? I have got a bad feeling about the guy,” he said.

The report explained that personal terms had not yet been finalised at this point, and the demands on the player’s side were said to be ‘significant’.

But the French player was also “upset” at the criticism before he had even joined the club, especially coming from the club’s in-house media team.

This led to Rabiot having doubts about the move, and in turn, those at the club began questioning whether he had what it took to withstand the scrutiny at Old Trafford.

Despite the player being regularly linked to United once again this summer, The Athletic report explained that a deal was never close.

The club’s summer business included five first-team additions and many sales or loans. But all of those who came in are 26 or younger.

Rabiot is 29 years of age and a controversial figure, mainly due to his mother, Veronique, being a fierce agent. United wanted to ensure they were signing players with their best years ahead of them.

Instead, the midfield additions of Manuel Ugarte and 18-year-old Sekou Kone are exciting and offer the potential for long-term solutions.

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