Barcelona Target Adrien Rabiot Reportedly Nearing PSG Contract Extension

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot is reportedly close to agreeing a new contract with the French club that could see him reject Barcelona interest in favour of extending his stay in France's capital. 

Rabiot has been frequently linked as a target for the Blaugrana, who bid farewell to legendary playmaker Andres Iniesta this summer, but ESPN FC (h/t Football Espana) reported an extension to his current deal is close.

Football Espana referenced an article from Sport that suggested Rabiot could leave the Parc des Princes for €40 million (£35.7 million), but it's said manager Thomas Tuchel has convinced him to prolong his stay in Paris. 

Tuchel hasn't taken long to begin stamping his authority at PSG, and it wasn't long ago that he appeared to offer Rabiot a public ultimatum in terms of his prospects in Paris, per Goal:

The 23-year-old's contract is due to expire next summer, meaning PSG face a dilemma in whether to sell the player now or keep him for the final year of his deal and risk losing him for nothing next summer.

But a third option—and probably the most preferred avenue for PSG—has arisen in that Rabiot now appears to be edging toward an extension, which would give the club more time to invest in his development.

One concern for PSG is that this isn't the first time the threat of Rabiot leaving the club has been discussed. He also entered the final year of his previous contract, which was due to expire in 2015, at which time Goal's Robin Bairner wrote it was reported his mother and agent, Veronique, was causing unrest at the club.

Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney commented on the games being played in order for Rabiot to get his way with PSG, which looks to have worked after he captained the side in all three of their 2018 International Champions Cup games:

Football Espana also cited a report from France Football, which said Barca technical director and fellow Frenchman Eric Abidal had flown to Paris for talks with Rabiot's mother regarding a summer transfer. 

News of an extension being close also followed Tuchel's remarks that the ball was in Rabiot's court in regards to signing a new deal. The PSG boss appeared at a press conference in Singapore and said:

"As I said in Munich, his talent is obvious as is his potential and I don't think we have seen the best of him yet.

"I think he can still get better and there are still steps for him to take so I'm convinced that he can reach a new level at this club.

"For me, it is very important to have players who came through at a club but he has a complicated contract situation [one year left to run].

"In that type of situation, it is the player who has to decide. He has to show his commitment.

"My opinion in all of this is clear and he knows it, but the decision depends on him."

Recent movements suggest Rabiot has made up his mind and will continue with PSG and extend his eight-year stint with the French heavyweights rather than chase a potential move to Barcelona.