Adrien Rabiot has said that he rejected the chance to join Manchester United because the club are “in a bit of a hole at the moment”.
The 30-year-old midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford across the last two summer transfer windows during his time at Juventus.
Rabiot was tipped to move to Erik ten Hag's Man United on a free transfer in 2023 before deciding to renew his contract at Juventus and extend his stay for an additional 12 months.
Rumours of the Red Devils reigniting their interests in Rabiot surfaced last summer when the France international decided to leave Juve for good upon the expiration of his contract after publicly expressing his desire to challenge himself in the Premier League.
However, Rabiot was persuaded to return to his homeland and join Marseille on a free transfer, putting pen to paper on a two-year deal until June 2026.
Rabiot established himself as a star player for Roberto De Zerbi’s side last season, contributing with nine goals and five assists in 29 Ligue 1 appearances to help Marseille secure second place and qualification for the Champions League.
France's Adrien Rabiot on July 9, 2024
Rabiot: ‘Man United are in a bit of a hole at the moment’
As for Man United, thy endured a bitterly disappointing trophyless campaign that culminated with a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League - their lowest in history - and defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
Rabiot has since revealed that he held “great talks” with Man United over a proposed move to Old Trafford, but he opted against a switch because of the club’s well-documented struggles on and off the pitch.
“It really could have happened two years ago, when I was coming to the end of my contract at Juventus and I finally decided to extend by a year,” Rabiot told The Athletic.
“We had great talks and there were written offers. But in the end, it didn't happen. Last year as well, when I was free, they came back in again. I had good talks with them again.
“But it's true that it was a bit tricky. The situation they're in at the moment… I felt a bit of reticence about whether United were going to be able to go on and achieve great things, because they're in a bit of a hole at the moment.”
He added: “I arrived at Marseille and I had a great season. I helped the club to fulfil its objectives by qualifying [for the Champions League] in my first season. So no, no regrets.”
Marseille's Adrien Rabiot and Mason Greenwood on April 19, 2025
Rabiot thriving alongside Greenwood at Marseille
Rabiot now shares a dressing room at Marseille with Mason Greenwood, who also joined the French giants last summer after leaving boyhood club Man United in 2023.
Greenwood, who was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour before prosecutors dropped the case against him in February 2023, ended the 2024-25 season as Marseille’s top scorer with 22 goals in 36 games across all competitions, 12 clear of his nearest challenger Rabiot (10).
“Mason is an incredible player,” said Rabiot. “If he hadn’t had all of his problems, I think he’d have an image like [Jude] Bellingham. Mason would be the star.
“He’s an exceptional player. He can score with his right foot and his left foot, he has an exceptional shot, he can dribble.
“We’re very lucky to have him. When he’s really focused, he does really great things."
Prior to joining Marseille, Greenwood was regarded as one of Man United’s brightest academy prospects and went on to make 129 first-team appearances, scoring 35 goals and providing 12 assists.
As for Rabiot, he spent six months in Manchester City's academy as a teenager, while he also won five Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain and the 2019-20 Serie A title with Juventus, before making the move to Marseille.
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