Tottenham Transfer News: Spurs Face Fight for Adrien Rabiot Amid Arsenal Rumours

Tottenham Hotspur will reportedly battle north London rivals Arsenal and Serie A side Inter Milan to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

Spurs and Arsenal are among the clubs monitoring Rabiot's situation, as the player's contract expires in 2019. However, Inter are also showing their interest, per Calciomercato (h/t TalkSport): "The Italian club reportedly tried to sign the midfielder three years ago, and they are ready to return for him in January. PSG, however, are likely to be reluctant to part with Rabiot as he is one of their homegrown players."

Analysing the story, Alexander Netherton of Eurosport.com's Paper Round wrote: "[Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy and [Arsenal boss] Arsene Wenger would first of all be delighted to sign Rabiot in these circumstances—any contract problems means that the club could pick up Rabiot on the cheap compared to if he had a secure future at the Parc des Princes."

PSG's reluctance to ditch Rabiot is understandable since he is one of the most gifted passers in Europe. Ostensibly a defensive midfielder, the 22-year-old is less a tough-tackling ball-winner and more a deep-lying playmaker.

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He's already supplied two assists across Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League action this season, per WhoScored.com, proof of his eye for a pass and creative temperament.

Rabiot's game is built on classy technique and astute vision. In this sense, he would complement holding players Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama at Tottenham.

While Spurs would face strong competition for Rabiot, they could still have a chance of signing a player whose future in the French capital is looking increasingly uncertain.

The player's mother, Veronique, who acts as his agent, is set to ask PSG to adhere to the following three conditions before her son agrees to a new contract, per French publication L'Equipe (h/t Andrew Gibney of Football Whispers, via Sky Sports): "The club must have an exciting project; he must be playing in his correct position (left of the central midfield); and they need to sign a new defensive midfielder."

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In years past, Spurs would have struggled to outdo Arsenal and Inter in the race for any transfer target. Yet the landscape has changed somewhat in recent seasons.

The club is now adapting to regular Champions League football. Spurs are also armed with a young squad, one deep and talented enough to continue improving and maintain their place as Premier League title challengers.

Adding a player with Rabiot's potential to get better would only further boost Tottenham's ability to field a team built to win and compete in the long term.

Beating Arsenal and Inter to the player's signature would only reinforce the idea Spurs are making giant strides on and off the pitch.