Manchester United apparently turned down the chance to sign Adrien Rabiot as a free agent this summer due to the demands of his mother and agent Veronique Rabiot.
Twelve months after initially registering their interest in the France international, Man United were supposedly ready to try again for his signature this time around.
Upon Erik ten Hag's arrival last year, the Dutchman identified Rabiot as a prime target, and the Red Devils are believed to have agreed a fee with Juventus before failing to satisfy Rabiot's camp with the wages they placed on the table.
Rabiot enjoyed an impressive individual season with Juventus despite the protracted saga, and Man United reportedly reignited contacts with the 28-year-old's entourage once again this summer.
The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was due to become a free agent at the end of June, but he snubbed Man United to agree to a new one-year deal with Juventus until the summer of 2024.
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Having been forced to abandon their pursuit of Rabiot last year due to his agent's financial demands, Gazzetta dello Sport - via The Mirror - claims that the Red Devils' move this time around was also scuppered by Veronique Rabiot.
The report claims that the 64-year-old wanted her son to receive £8.6m a year at Old Trafford on a three-year contract, as well as a signing-on fee of £8.6m.
The Red Devils were not willing to bow to those demands, and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri successfully pushed to keep Rabiot at the Allianz Stadium for another season.
The France international was one of the Bianconeri's star performers last season with 11 goals and six assists from 47 games in all competitions, taking his total for the club to 17 goals and 12 assists in 177 outings since joining on a free transfer from PSG in 2019.
While Man United suffered more frustration in their pursuit of Rabiot - whose future beyond the summer of 2024 remains unclear - the Red Devils are on the brink of signing Mason Mount from Chelsea.
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The Blues had originally rejected as many as three bids from Man United, but the Red Devils left their third offer on the table as they prepared to scope out alternative targets.
However, Chelsea have now reportedly accepted Man United's most recent offer, which will see Ten Hag's side pay an initial £55m plus £5m in performance-related add-ons.
Mount is expected to pen a five-year deal at Old Trafford, where he will compete with the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes for midfield starts.
Mount's arrival could open the door for Fred and/or Scott McTominay to depart, with the former rumoured to be on Fulham and Roma's wishlists, while West Ham United are supposedly pushing for a move for McTominay.
The Red Devils confirmed on Friday that Marcel Sabitzer had returned to Bayern Munich following the conclusion of his loan spell, but they have allegedly been offered the chance to re-sign the Austrian for just £12.9m.
Ben Knapton
