Adrien Rabiot's stunning summer transfer decision is obvious amid Man Utd, Arsenal, and Aston Villa interest

Veronique, will you ever be satisfied? Football’s most prominent momager, a Parisian Kris Kardashian of sorts, values her son, Adrien Rabiot, more highly than anybody else on God’s green earth. On the one hand, that is perfectly natural; he is after all, both her client and her darling little prince. On the other, it can make contract negotiations somewhat prickly.

Every summer, like the stirring of the chirping grasshoppers, we are treated to a cacophony of transfer speculation surrounding Rabiot, and every summer it follows a very recognisable pattern; Adrien wants a new deal, his current club offers him aforementioned deal, Veronique fumes at the financial injustice of said deal. This year, however, the stakes have real, meaty meaning.

You see, Rabiot is out of contract with Juventus in a matter of days, and as things stand, the combined disgruntlement of both him and his mother/agent means that he will not be signing an extension. A free exit beckons, and subsequently, so does the affection of several Premier League outfits.

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Arsenal are all keen on the France international, with the Red Devils in particular having already held preliminary talks over a prospective transfer. For his part, Rabiot is said to want to maximise his earnings from his next contract, and while Juve still value him enough to have offered him a three-year extension to his current deal, the consensus from both the player and Veronique is that he could make more money elsewhere.

To that end, you suspect that United may prove to be his best bet. While Sir Jim Ratcliffe will no doubt want to move away from a model of forking out exorbitant wages for talents approaching the downwards slop of their career, United are unlikely to break the habit of a lifetime in one summer, and there is no getting away from the fact that the Red Devils need midfield reinforcements, or for that matter, that Rabiot is a class act.

A multiple time champion in France, a Serie A winner, and a World Cup finalist, there is very little that the 29-year-old has not experienced in the professional game, and given the precariousness with which they conducted themselves for large parts of last season, it is easy to see how that kind of elite know how could appeal to United at the present moment in time. Factor in the potential departure of Casemiro, and the need for an older head in the centre of midfield becomes more apparent still.

Striking an agreement feels, therefore, like something that could be mutually beneficial for both player and club. United bring in a world class midfield presence with the capability of addressing a very obvious issue in Erik ten Hag’s squad, while Rabiot gets his move, and more importantly, his money. Even Veronique, watching over all, might finally be contented... for a while. Competition could prove to be stiff, especially with the likes of Arsenal circling, but this is one deal United should be looking to wrap up as soon as possible.