Manchester United appear to have reached an agreement with Juventus over the shock transfer of Adrien Rabiot despite well-documented reports of an attitude problem.
The Frenchman is no stranger to making headlines for his conduct off the pitch and many have argued that kind of behaviour is the last thing the Red Devils need as they get to grips with the demands of new manager Erik ten Hag. However, in the interest of balance, it is important to note not everyone feels Rabiot is a problem in the dressing room.
Former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo was a keen admirer of the Frenchman, regularly heaping praise on him after games. The Italian icon even dubbed the former Paris-Saint-Germain star "the complete player".
Speaking after a 2-0 victory against Cagliari at the Allianz Stadium back in 2020, Pirlo told reporters of Rabiot: "He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.
"He doesn't even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game."
Two years on, things haven't played exactly as many would have hoped for Rabiot in Turin and it has since become clear he harbours no intention of renewing his deal with the Serie A giants amid interest from Ten Hag's United.
The Red Devils aren't the only Premier League outfit to have declared an interest in Rabiot's services this summer - Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel phoned the midfielder to float the idea of a potential Stamford Bridge switch.
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Tuchel's interest comes as a surprise considering the German already worked with Rabiot at PSG during a notably turbulent time of the midfielder's career which saw him suspended by the Ligue 1 outfit.
At the tail-end of 2018, when Rabiot had made clear to Tuchel and the club hierarchy that he would like to leave the French capital, the then-PSG boss stood by the decision to suspend the player from the first team indefinitely.
"It is a club decision, and I respect and understand their stance," he told Canal+. "Now, we will wait and see. I love the player [Rabiot]. He has been a key figure, but this situation has dragged on for far too long. The club has made a decision and I respect it."
