Manchester United have reached an agreement with Juventus over the purchase of the France midfielder Adrien Rabiot for an initial £15m. Discussions are at an early stage regarding the player’s personal terms, and while Juventus are happy to sell the 27-year-old approval will be required from his agent and mother, Veronique, before a deal can proceed. Rabiot has played previously for Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse and has 29 international caps. He has won five Ligue 1 titles and one in Serie A but has a record of uneven discipline, including being fined for lateness. United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, still retains hope of signing his principal midfield target, Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, despite mixed signals emanating from the Spanish club regarding a sale of the Netherlands playmaker. The transfer would cost United €65m (£55m) plus €20m in add‑ons, though the structure of the additional payments has not been decided. Chelsea are believed to be leading the race for De Jong. They have held talks with Barcelona over signing the 25-year-old and believe he favours them over United. Spanish sources say he remains determined to stay put. United, who began their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 home defeat against Brighton on Sunday, are also targeting Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic as a possible signing to help bolster the club’s depleted attacking options. The fee would be in the region of £10m for the 33-year-old.