Man Utd: Major deal to 'become clearer in next 48 hours' at Old Trafford

Manchester United are pushing to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and the Old Trafford deal ‘should become clearer’ within the next 48 hours, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Red Devils’ catastrophic start to the new season went up a notch when they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, so boss Erik ten Hag will be desperate to bolster his squad ahead of the September 1 deadline.

Manchester United have moved a step closer towards signing Rabiot after agreeing an initial fee of £15million with Juventus.

Red Devils director John Murtough held a positive meeting with the 27-year-old’s agent and mother Veronique after travelling to Turin last week.

Further discussions were scheduled to take place today, with Rabiot’s wage demands remaining the key stumbling block in getting a deal over the line.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that all parties are ‘really confident’ that the central midfielder, who has made 369 appearances over the course of his club career, will be on Manchester United’s books by the time the transfer window slams shut.

Having entered the final 12 months of his £175,000-per-week contract, Juventus are open to Rabiot moving onto pastures new.

Jones understands that Manchester United are keen to strengthen the heart of their midfield by drafting in Rabiot and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, who has reportedly told his team-mates that a move to Old Trafford could be on the cards.

The transfer insider believes the next 48 hours are crucial in the Red Devils’ pursuit of 29-cap France international Rabiot.

When asked whether Manchester United are chasing de Jong as well as Rabiot, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I definitely think that is still the case. They’d love both.

“The Rabiot