Manchester United legend Lou Macari has slammed the Red Devils' move for Adrien Rabiot live on the club's MUTV channel.
Macari is a regular guest on the in-house TV channel, having enjoyed an 11-year spell at United as a player. MUTV has been known for its optimistic view of events at Old Trafford, even as United lurched from one crisis to another.
One of those crises has been this summer's transfer window, with the Red Devils so far signing just three players. That is despite the need for a major overhaul being obvious to many observers after United recorded their lowest-ever Premier League points total last season.
That large-scale overhaul has not taken place though, with new boss Erik ten Hag largely left with the same squad as last term. Club chiefs have even failed to sign his number one transfer target, Frenkie de Jong.
A move for the Dutchman appears to be dead in the water, with United turning towards alternatives. One option is Adrien Rabiot, with the Red Devils thought to have already agreed a £15m deal with Juventus for the Frenchman.
That move has prompted a furious reaction from fans though, with many refusing to believe Rabiot has the quality needed. It is not only supporters who have been left angry, with Macari now also slamming the potential deal.
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The former United star had been invited onto MUTV to discuss the fall-out from Ten Hag's pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Brentford. When he was asked about Rabiot though, Macari went totally off-script as he slammed his former club.
"I'd never really heard of him. Clubs spend millions of pounds scouting players across Europe, but nobody else has made a move for this fella. Why do you think this is? I have got a bad feeling about the guy," he said.
Ten Hag refused to discuss the potential arrival of Rabiot, or indeed any of the players United are linked with. But he did insist that his side had to do more when they travel to the Bees on Saturday, having fallen to a dismal defeat to Brighton last Sunday.
"I'm happy, I think we're cooperating really well. I cannot tell [you] about any individuals because I cannot talk about players who are under contract with other clubs," the United boss said.
"What I always do after every game, I analyse the game and dwell on what went wrong and where we can improve, where we have to improve, how we have to train and of course we tell and show the players where we have to improve to give them the solutions.
"We learned a lot but it's normal when you start a season, every season in that part is the same. The team get together, you have to get a way of playing, especially when you are new, what we are. You have a new start, you make mistakes. Football is a game of mistakes, so we know we have to improve in many factors, [that's] clear."
