Adrien Rabiot has agreed to join Ligue 1 side Marseille after being strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, particularly to Manchester United, during the summer transfer window, Soccernet.football reports.
The 29-year-old midfielder, a free agent since his contract with Juventus expired last season, will now officially become a Marseille player, pending the completion of a medical.
Olympique de Marseille confirmed the news in a statement, saying, “Olympique de Marseille announces that it has reached an agreement in principle with Adrien Rabiot for the arrival of the French international midfielder at the club. The player will sign with OM subject to the results of the medical examination.”
Despite interest from several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, who tracked Rabiot for years, the French international chose Marseille.
United ultimately opted to sign Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain instead, in a deal worth up to £50.5 million.
Rabiot’s mother and agent, Veronique, previously revealed that United had shown interest two years ago. “United wanted to meet me to illustrate their interest in Adrien, but we never talked about money in detail because he quickly decided to stay in Turin,” she said.
Rabiot played a key role for France during Euro 2024 before their exit in the semi-finals to Spain. He now joins a Marseille side sitting second in Ligue 1, with aspirations of reclaiming a Champions League spot.
Upon his arrival in Marseille, Rabiot received a warm reception from nearly 500 supporters at the airport, according to OuestFrance.
Speaking to the crowd, he said, “I didn’t expect this, seeing all the people who are there and happy, it warms my heart… it already makes me want to play and win.”
Rabiot is expected to officially sign a two-year contract, with his debut possibly coming in Marseille’s upcoming clash with Lyon.
Looking ahead, the midfielder is eager to contribute: “The objective is to win of course, to get back into the Champions League.”
Rabiot’s return to French football will also add spice to Marseille’s fierce rivalry with PSG, with the next Le Classique scheduled for October 27.