Former Paris Saint-Germain standout Adrien Rabiot remains a free agent after his contract with Juventus ended in late June. Over the last few days, the midfielder has been heavily linked to Manchester United.

One expert suggests that the rumors linking Rabiot to Old Trafford could be because the Premier League side saw him more as a backup option than a priority.

PSG and Manchester United finalized a deal for Manuel Ugarte on the last day of the summer transfer window. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Johnson, completing the deal in the final hours may have dampened the Red Devils’ interest in the Frenchman.

“I think the Manchester United links were always with Rabiot being seen as an alternative to Manuel Ugarte, but at the same time he’s always going to be the kind of player that top clubs are looking at – a free agent who can come in and give them a big boost in positions that are problematic for them, whether it’s because of an injury or if they’re generally a bit light in midfield,” Johnson wrote in his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside.

“So I think there is still some hope that there can be a resolution to Rabiot’s future in the coming weeks, but even if he were to join a new club tomorrow he would still be some way off the level of fitness of his teammates because they’ve been back training for at least a month or so now with their respective clubs.”

If the English club is interested in Rabiot, his camp isn’t making things easy. According to a recent report from Le Figaro, Rabiot’s mother, who still handles his affairs, is demanding a salary of over €10 million for him.

UnitedMuppetiers also reported this week that Manchester United are considering signing Rabiot, but only if they can secure him on a short-term, budget-friendly deal.