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Shirt numbers available to Adrien Rabiot at Manchester United

Amid speculation linking Adrien Rabiot with a move to Manchester United, Sports Mole looks at which numbers could be available to the Frenchman at Old Trafford.

The coronavirus pandemic has not stopped Manchester United from being linked with a host of new signings when the transfer window reopens.

Mega-money deals may well become a thing of the past for now, but the Red Devils are expected to be one of a handful of teams still in a position to spend big this summer.

A new midfielder is understood to be one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward's priorities, with the future of Paul Pogba still uncertain amid links to Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish is their top target in that area of the field, while James Maddison and Jude Bellingham have also been touted as possible signings.

Recent reports have tipped United to revive their interest in Adrien Rabiot too, with the French midfielder failing to nail down a regular starting role since joining Juventus from PSG.

Here, Sports Mole looks at which numbers would be available to the 25-year-old if he were to move to Old Trafford this summer.



Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot pictured during a pre-season friendly in July 2019© Reuters

Any shirt number for Rabiot could be directly linked to the future of loanee Odion Ighalo, who currently occupies the midfielder's favoured '25'.

Ighalo has made no secret of his desire to extend his stay at Old Trafford, while United are also keen to keep the Nigeria international until at least the end of the season.

Should he stay beyond that then it is unlikely Rabiot would usurp the striker in the pecking order for number 25, although Ighalo does also have other options which may be available, such as '24', '7' and '16', all of which he has worn previously in his career.

Rabiot himself has also worn the number seven during his time at PSG, and that number could well be available at Old Trafford ahead of next season should Alexis Sanchez leave this summer.

If Pogba does end up leaving too then the number six would also be up for grabs and could provide a suitable midfield number for Rabiot, particularly with other options few and far between without going too far up the list.

Rabiot has worn '15', '18' and '31' at various points in his career, but those are currently taken by Andreas Pereira, Bruno Fernandes and Nemanja Matic respectively.

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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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