Adrien rabiot
Spurs have shown their interest in signing Adrien Rabiot amidst Liverpool rumours. The 23-year-old Frenchman was linked with a move to Anfield after the club contacted the player’s agent. However, Liverpool have pulled out of the race to sign the Paris Saint Germain star. (h/t Daily Star)
Rabiot is currently in the final year of his contract at Parc des Princes and will be available for free next summer. He will be allowed to hold talks with other clubs over a pre-contract agreement from January.
Although the Frenchman is likely to become a free agent next summer, Spurs might struggle to meet the player’s wage demands. Hence, Pochettino should try his luck and make a bid for the Frenchman in January.
Spurs started the season on a good note with three wins from their first three fixtures before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Watford away from home. Their bad luck continued as they lost 2-1 to Liverpool at Wembley this weekend.
As they are competing in various competitions, they should add depth to their squad. However, lack of effective options in central midfield necessitates immediate reinforcements. Mousa Dembele has been the first-choice central midfielder for Spurs this season but the Belgian hasn’t done enough to justify his inclusion in the starting line-up.
Rabiot is capable of playing in a variety of roles in the central midfield. Standing at 6ft 2 inches with a lean physique, the Frenchman may not be capable of dominating the opposition with his strength but makes up for it with his technical superiority which allows him to pass the ball with grace and elegance.
While he tends to excel in a box-to-box role with his energy, tackling and interceptions, his wide range of passing is great. This is outlined by a remarkable vision to find attackers up front with through balls or lobbed passes.
The Frenchman can also play either as a holding midfielder or as a shield for the rearguard to help the team cope with counter-attacks.
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The presence of Rabiot should allow Pochettino to use Eric Dier in a more defensive role in the midfield as well.
That said, Spurs should not wait for the coming season to lure the Frenchman to the club. Pochettino should take initiative and try to seal the deal in January by entering into a pre-contract agreement with the player.