Tottenham Reportedly Interested in Adrien Rabiot Amid Liverpool Rumours

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly entered the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

According to Paris United (h/t Sport Witness), Spurs are considering making a move for the France international, who is available on a free transfer at the end of the campaign when his contract expires. It's said some tentative talks have been held between Tottenham and some of the player's representatives.

Earlier in September, Julien Laurens of ESPN said Liverpool have been in touch with Rabiot about a possible switch ahead of the 2019-20 season.

As noted by Sport Witness, both Barcelona and Manchester City have also been named as long-term suitors. It's added PSG will not take approaches made to their players well, although Rabiot will be able to speak to clubs overseas about signing a pre-contract agreement from January onwards. 

Football journalist Andrew Gaffney believes if Tottenham are interested in Rabiot, it would only be to acquire him in the summer, although his wage demands may be a little too much for the Premier League club:

If he was to leave the French champions following this season, it would be a blow for the Ligue 1 side, as Rabiot has evolved into a fine footballer.

After spending time in Manchester City's academy setup in his younger years, PSG snapped up Rabiot in 2010 before he made his debut in 2012 for the first team. While he spent a year on loan at Toulouse, overall he's continued to make strides in the capital.

Now he's a first-team regular alongside Marco Verratti in central midfield. While the Italian knits play together with his composure and excellent passing range, Rabiot is capable of venturing forward from the same position, as he's physical, balanced and technically excellent.

Still just 23 years old, there's potential for the player to grow even more in the years to come, and as such, it's not a shock to see so many of European football's biggest teams linked with a move. 

It was reported by L'Equipe (h/t Jeremy Smith) that PSG are in a difficult position regarding the midfielder:

Tottenham have relied heavily on Mousa Dembele in midfield down the years, although injury issues have slowed the Belgian down in recent campaigns. Rabiot, who is also strong, intelligent on the ball and left-sided, shares similar traits with the Spurs man.

Even so, if Rabiot is free to move to where he chooses in 2019, then Spurs will face fierce competition for one of Europe's most elegant midfielders.