REVEALED: Man United target Adrien Rabiot was once in Man City’s academy as a talented 13-year-old… but the France star left after just six months when his mum went terminate your contract.
- Adrien Rabiot spent six months in Man City’s youth set-up as a teenager
- Rabiot’s stay in England would end after his mother became unhappy with the club
- The Juventus midfielder’s mother, Veronique, is his agent to this day
- Rabiot is expected to complete a deal to join Manchester United this summer
By Adrian Bishop for Mailonline
Published: 09:30, August 11, 2022 | Updated: 12:16, August 11, 2022
Adrien Rabiot’s impending move to Manchester United has become one of the transfer stories of the summer, but it is not the first time the 27-year-old midfielder has been coveted by City.
After impressing as a youth at French side Creteil, a 13-year-old Rabiot was spotted by scouts and invited to join Manchester City’s youth set-up in 2008.
Traveling to the UK with his mother and agent, Veronique Rabiot, the teenager joined the Manchester City Academy, then under the guidance of Jim Cassell.
Adrien Rabiot spent six months in Manchester City’s academy as a teenager (right) but is now on the verge of signing for rivals Manchester United from Juventus.
However, after spending just six months with the club, and amid a bout of homesickness, Rabiot would eventually opt to leave Manchester to return to his native France.
Speaking later about his experience, Rabiot will offer an insight into what had gone wrong during his time at the club.
“Everything was going well, but after six months, the club did not respect certain agreements, so my mother said ‘Stop’ and we went home,” he said in 2020.
The France international eventually left Manchester after a disagreement between the club and his mother and agent, Veronique Rabiot.
Rabiot would return to his native country before joining PSG, where he would spend nine years before signing for Juventus in 2019.
The disagreements between the elder Rabiot and Manchester City are believed to be related to Veronique wanting guarantees from the club for her son which would have breached FIFA regulations on foreign players.
After returning to France, Rabiot played for more local clubs before joining PSG’s youth set-up in 2010, eventually breaking into the Parisian club’s first team.
After a nine-year stint in the French capital, Rabiot would join Juventus in 2019 during Maurizio Sarri’s brief reign at the club.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is eyeing a deal for Rabiot after talks with Frenkie de Jong appear to have broken down.
Since then, the France international has made more than 100 appearances in all competitions for La Vella.
Rabiot is expected to complete a deal worth £15m to join Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, with talks ongoing between the club and Veronique over personal terms.
The club earmarked the former PSG star as an option after it emerged that top target Frenkie de Jong now looks set to join Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea following months of speculation over his future.