Marseille honcho offers Adrien Rabiot a shot at reconciliation as Tottenham Hotspur circle
With the clock ticking on and time running out, Tottenham Hotspur need to up their ante and bring in a new midfielder.
A creative midfielder is high on the club’s agenda, especially after the serious knee injury sustained to James Maddison. Spurs suffered the heartbreak of losing Eberechi Eze to bitter rivals Arsenal last week, failing in their pursuit to land a creative player to help Thomas Frank’s squad.
As a result, the Lilywhites have gone all in for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons. Chelsea had agreed personal terms with Simons, but that did not deter Tottenham’s hopes of landing him. As per reputable journalist David Ornstein on X, Spurs have agreed a deal with RB Leipzig to sign the Netherlands international.
Marseille president makes interesting admission on Tottenham target
Simons’ signing finally ends the north London club’s search for a No.10. However, it would not finish their transfer business as Thomas Frank remains open for more options in the middle of the park. This has been demonstrated by the Lilywhites’ interest in Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The Premier League club have contacted the Frenchman’s entourage over a move to N17. The central midfielder has fallen out of favour under Roberto De Zerbi after a dressing room bust-up with then teammate Jonathan Rowe. Marseille have since decided to go public and announce they’d sell both players. While Rowe has joined Serie A side Bologna last week, Adrien Rabiot still remains a part of the club thus far.
When the Champions League draw in Monaco was set to happen on Thursday, Marseille president Pablo Longoria was asked about the latest update on Rabiot’s future. Pablo Longoria had earlier described the incident as “extremely violent”. In midweek, he invited the midfielder “to talk” as his office’s door is “always open to players”.
“It’s always a hot topic. We have to be very clear: everyone at the club has known me for years. The door to my office is always open to players, whether they’re on their way out or not, whether it’s Rabiot or someone else. The most important thing in life is to talk to each other like adults, to have sincere discussions,” Longoria told in an interview to Canal + (h/t Le Figaro).
“Talk, just talk. All the players in our squad under contract know that my door is open. Right now, he’s under contract and until the end of the transfer window, there are still possibilities.”
Adrien Rabiot could do a job for Spurs
Spurs signed Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich earlier this transfer window, and the 30-year-old has made a positive impact in the team. However, with Yves Bissouma poised to leave before the transfer window, Frank must bring in a midfielder as the Malian’s potential replacement to help Tottenham compete strongly on all four fronts this season.
Rabiot, in that regard, would be a good option. Hugely experienced and a winner in his career, the France international would immediately enhance Tottenham’s squad depth. He can operate as both a No.6 and 8, and Frank may decide to use him as a backup to either Palhinha or Bentancur. However, the 30-year-old’s attitude has been criticised at times, and his latest altercation with Rowe does not leave in a good stead after being transfer-listed by Marseille.
But if we are to go purely from a footballing perspective, Rabiot is a quality player and could make an impact for Frank’s side.