Man Utd would be signing ‘new Paul Pogba’ in Adrien Rabiot, claims ex-PSG team-mate Buffon
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LEGENDARY goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon reckons Adrien Rabiot could be the perfect tonic to the Paul Pogba drama for Manchester United.
Club record signing Pogba shocked fans over the weekend after declaring that it "could be a good time" to leave Old Trafford.
But Italian icon Buffon, 41, hinted that the perfect Manchester United replacement is hiding in plain sight.
Rabiot, 24, is available for free this summer after a major falling out with manager Thomas Tuchel and the Paris Saint-Germain board.
Despite being fully fit, Rabiot has not played a minute of football in 2019 and last started a game for the club on November 24.
But Buffon, who spent the season with Rabiot in Paris, heaped praise on the midfielder, comparing him to three of the best midfielders in recent Juventus history.
He told Corriere dello Sport: "Rabiot is incredible, such a great player.
"He is also a lovely lad and a fine team-mate.
"I don’t know where the whole media storms surrounding him came from, because the guy I know is world class.
"Rabiot is this fantastic mixture: he has the strength of Pogba, who is built like a wardrobe, the courage of [Arturo] Vidal and potentially the dynamism of [Claudio] Marchisio."
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"He has to improve the timing of his runs into the box but can become someone who scores 10 goals per season."
Rabiot would likely command high wages but those costs would be offset by the lack of a transfer fee.
Manchester United are believed to be open to selling Juventus and Real Madrid target Pogba, but will ask for around £150million.
