Man Utd's 'over the top and disrespectful' contract change killed Adrien Rabiot transfer as midfielder's mother reveals why he didn't join Red Devils from Juventus

The mother and agent of the Marseille player opened up on her son's failed move to Old Trafford. She dived into the details and admitted that Rabiot was close to signing for United, but disagreements in negotiations caused the move to collapse, prompting her to label the English outfit "disrespectful".

United were heavily interested in signing the Frenchman in 2022, the summer when they were also in talks to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. At the time, Rabiot was plying his trade for Juventus in Serie A and had entered the final year of his contract. A £15 million (€13m/$18m) transfer fee was already said to have been agreed between Juve and United, but salary disputes caused the transfer to fall apart, with Rabiot's camp reportedly demanding €10m (£9m/$12m) annually. That claim was rubbished by Veronique in November 2023. Although a move didn't materialise in 2022, the two sides once again looked to find a way to unite the following year, with Rabiot hitting free agency. Rabiot ended up extending his stay in Turin by another year. But to no surprise, United were back in the hunt for Rabiot in 2024, when the France international eventually decided to give up on his dream of playing in the Premier League to sign for Marseille.

Speaking to L'Equipe, Veronique addressed reports that she was greedy in negotiations, which ultimately led to a breakdown in negotiations. Veronique, though, clarified: "But that, too, is completely false. That year, Adrien was ready to leave Juve, who had qualified for the Champions League, for Manchester United, who hadn’t.

“We discussed the terms, and in the end, they said to me: ‘If we don’t qualify for the Champions League at the end of next season, Adrien’s salary will go down.’ I found that really over the top and very disrespectful.

“I said: ‘We’re stopping’. They thought it was a strategy to get more [money]. But no, it was a matter of principle, not money. Obviously, it surprised them. They’re not used to it.”

The 30-year-old is in the final year of his contract with Marseille, who are set to return to Champions League football next season. Rabiot, who has become one of the leaders of the dressing room under the tutelage of Roberto De Zerbi, will be hoping to continue playing well, with an eye also on the 2026 World Cup.