I prefer to join Man United – Juventus boss Thiago Motta speaks out on Adrien Rabiot U-turn amid strong Manchester United links

I prefer to join Man United – Juventus boss Thiago Motta speaks out on Adrien Rabiot U-turn amid strong Manchester United links

Juventus manager Thiago Motta has ruled out a possible return to the club for free agent Adrien Rabiot.

Rabiot left Juventus upon the expiration of his contract earlier this summer and the 29-year-old has thus far been unable to find a new team for the 2024/25 campaign.

The central midfielder made 212 first-team appearances for Juve across five years in Turin and helped the Italian giants secure the Serie A title in 2020, plus two Coppa Italia trophies and the Supercoppa Italiana.

In that time, Rabiot was also a part of the French squad that won the Nations League three years ago and played a key role as Didier Deschamps’ men finished runners-up at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Rabiot throughout the summer but it’s understood the player’s eye-watering £220,000-a-week wage demands have put the Red Devils off a proposed move.

Speaking to the media this afternoon, Motta closed the door on the prospect of Rabiot being welcomed back at Juventus for the season ahead.

‘He hasn’t called me. I love him as a boy and a player but he took a different path,’ the Juventus head coach told reporters this afternoon.

‘I wish him success in finding a team where he can be happy and express his talent.’

Earlier this month, Rabiot’s mother and agent, Veronique, talked up a potential move to Old Trafford, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport they were ‘on excellent terms with Manchester United.’

She also denied rumours that United bosses had turned their noses up at the midfielder’s wage demands.

‘All false. United wanted to meet me to illustrate their interest in Adrien, she added.

‘But we never talked about money in detail.’

Rabiot enjoyed a short spell in Manchester City’s academy before returning to his homeland to join up with Pau FC’s youth teams in 2009.

The Frenchman has represented his country at every age group from Under-16 level and has been capped 48 times by the senior side