MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly closing in on a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
Erik ten Hag lost Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic over the summer and is keen to bring in reinforcements during the transfer window to join holding midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred.
But statistics which have now emerged show that Rabiot is far from the answer.
They even highlight how the Frenchman would be a downgrade from what McTominay and Fred offer the club.
Since September 2020, Rabiot has played 66 matches – three more than McTominay and seven more than Fred.
Yet his contribution to Juventus has been outdone by the United pair in so many areas.
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He has scored four goals in that period – one fewer than Ten Hag’s midfield duo who started in the defeat to Brighton.
He does have two more assists than McTominay, but Fred still matches him.
And from then on the stats only get worse for the France international – who previously played for Paris Saint-Germain.
He has created just 31 chances – nine less than McTominay and 22 fewer than Fred.
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Fred has made over 700 more passes since September 2020, with McTominay also outperforming Rabiot.
The Juventus man has won fewer fouls than both and also has less touches.
But perhaps the most damning one for United fans will be the number of possessions won.
Ten Hag will be keen to see his defensive midfielders retrieving the ball with consistent regularity.
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With that in mind, Rabiot clearly is not the man as he has won possession 133 fewer times than Fred and 33 less than McTominay.
One way he does eclipse McTominay is in the number of tackles he has made – 136 to 116 – but Fred still gets the better of Rabiot there too as he has made 144.
There is no clear way Rabiot improves Man Utd and that has to be a worry for fans of the club as they continue to hear reports about a £15million deal growing closer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
