Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag may have Adrien Rabiot’s mother to thank for his successful first season.
Manchester United’s upturn in fortunes this season is down to several factors – Erik ten Hag’s brilliance and Marcus Rashford’s eye for goals to name a couple. But the biggest of all could be thanks to none other than Adrien Rabiot’s mother, Veronique.
Ten Hag’s first transfer window at Old Trafford was, for the most part, a mess.
Sure, United recovered eventually and financially backed him with five permanent signings up until the final weeks of the summer.
But the club’s tiresome pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who didn’t want to leave the Nou Camp, dominated headlines for months.
After it became clear that De Jong was off the table, the scramble for an alternative started despite United agreeing a deal with Barca.
And, unsurprisingly, the Red Devils’ decision to enter talks with Juventus midfielder Rabiot caused outrage among a fanbase desperate for Ten Hag not to be set up to fail immediately after walking through the door.
It came in the same period when United were sniffing around Marko Arnautovic as they struggled to seal a deal for Antony.
After weeks of negotiations with Rabiot, football director John Murtough even jetted to Turin to attempt to finalise a £15million transfer.
However, the move broke down after Veronique Rabiot, the Frenchman’s mother and agent, demanded a salary breaching £8m per year.
So it was back to square one for United… until reports emerged that were met with slightly more optimism.
The M16 giants were interested in Real Madrid anchorman Casemiro. And not only that, the feeling seemed to be mutual months after he had lifted his fifth Champions League.
Reports advanced quickly, and all of a sudden, United had agreed a £70m deal to lure Casemiro to Old Trafford and solve the club’s long-lasting midfield woes.
But despite his illustrious pedigree, not many could have predicted the impact the 31-year-old would have on Ten Hag’s side, a side he watched lose 4-0 at Brentford days before his arrival.
Such a capitulation may have turned a player of his ilk off a switch. But instead, his agent claims he texted him during the match: “I will fix this.”
And fix it he certainly did, helping Ten Hag quickly revolutionise after a dismal 2021/22 season in what is set up to be United’s best season since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
The Red Devils have already ended their six-year trophy drought and are still vying for two more in the FA Cup and Europa League.
Their 31 wins in all competitions are four more than any other club in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
United invested in a winner after almost taking the easy route and are… winning… likely much more than in that alternate reality.
Source: www.express.co.uk
