When Erik ten Hag arrived at Manchester United in 2022, the summer plan was clear: rebuild the midfield.
Casemiro joined, and so did Christian Eriksen, but fast forward to today and the Dane’s future at the club – according to reports – is in doubt.
The creative midfielder only made 12 Premier League starts last season, which clearly proves that he’s now viewed as a squad player.
However, United are now on the lookout for a new midfielder to upgrade from Eriksen, who has also been compared to a certain English superstar in Jude Bellingham.
Man Utd’s search for a new midfielder
According to a report from CaughtOffside, Man Utd will attempt to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus this summer.
The French star is said to be admired by Ten Hag, with him being viewed as ‘his priority in midfield.’
Rabiot’s contract in Turin expires soon, which would inevitably make him available on a free transfer.
However, what will give the Red Devils an advantage over other potential suitors is the fact that it’s been reported that the midfielder is waiting for the Manchester club.
Why Rabiot would be a huge upgrade on Eriksen
It’s fair to say that ever since his arrival in Turin, Rabiot has performed consistently, despite rarely receiving many plaudits for his impact.
His role at Juventus isn’t to be the best passer in the side, the most dominant defender, or even the most threatening in the final third, but his ability to tick all the boxes is vital.
Last season, the Frenchman started 30 games in Serie A, operating as a box-to-box in a midfield three for almost all of those.
However, it seems that Rabiot is someone who’s made for the big occasions, as shown by his performance for France against the Netherlands at Euro 2024, where he made four key passes and won all his duels, as well as during his most recent Champions League campaign.
Goals
0.08
0.40
0.57
Passes completed
51.11
41.17
39.14
Touches
70.67
62.56
66
Progressive passes
5.36
6.46
7.14
Progressive carries
1.58
2.62
2.29
Tackles
1.42
3.23
2.14
Interceptions
0.32
1.01
1.86
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Firstly, there’s no debating that Rabiot and Eriksen are the polar opposite when it comes to their strengths and approach to the beautiful game.
The Juve ace is far less involved in the possession side of play in terms of progression and creativity, often making runs off the ball to create space, which is one reason stats platform FBref classified him as a ‘similar player’ to Bellingham.
Just like the Real Madrid superstar, Rabiot provides an endless amount of energy in the middle of the park, with his intensity levels among the very best, whereas United’s Dane has been described as a “passenger” by football creator Liam Canning for his lack of manoeuvrability.
The fact that the 29-year-old’s goals, progressive carries, and tackles are so high proves that he covers the entire field during each game, and that athleticism would make him an upgrade on Eriksen alone.
On top of that, what makes Rabiot such a "monster," as dubbed by journalist Robin Bairner, is that he has the ability to pop up with goals, which would add another dimension to the United attack; that’s just another attribute that makes him similar to Bellingham.
Overall, considering that Rabiot could be snapped up on a free transfer, and he offers so many desirable traits, it would be crazy for United to pass on the opportunity of making him a replacement for Eriksen.
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