Manchester United expect to have more squad reinforcements by the end of the transfer window in what is becoming another chaotic summer at the club.
United have agreed a fee of £15million rising to £20m for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and are expected to submit a second bid for Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic.
It is understood United lined up a move for Rabiot, 27, prior to the morale-shattering defeat to Brighton on Sunday and the club made contact with Arnautovic, 33, early last week.
Also read: Rabiot would be a long time coming but maybe worth the wait
United have still not walked away from a protracted deal for Frenkie de Jong exactly 90 days from when they first contacted Barcelona about the midfielder.
The complexities of a move for De Jong have finally prompted United to move for an alternative midfielder in Rabiot, who has entered the last year of his contract at Juventus.
United have suffered further embarrassment with Red Bull Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko joining RB Leipzig. Sesko's agent met United football director John Murtough last month but United were reluctant to meet Salzburg's €55m valuation of the 19-year-old Slovenia international.
United have also encountered a fierce backlash from supporters over the approach for Arnautovic, who has spent two of the last three years playing in the Chinese Super League.
Some supporters have drawn attention to an incident in March 2009 when Arnautovic was accused of racially abusing Willem II defender Ibrahim Kargbo while he was playing under Erik ten Hag and Steve McClaren for Twente. The Dutch football association investigated Kargbo's claim and found no case against Arnautovic.
Arnautovic received a one-match ban for insulting North Macedonia winger Ezgjan Alioski during Austria's 3-1 win during the European Championship last year, although Uefa cleared him of using discriminatory behaviour.
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