No transfer seemed more dead certain than PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot's move to Tottenham Hotspur. Rumors began circulating in the fall that Spurs had already held talks with the player's agent/mother Veronique Rabiot. Then, in December, most news outlets believed the deal was all but done. Now, however, L'Equipe is reporting that Tottenham have backed off of their interest in Rabiot because PSG have refused a loan-to-buy deal.
Last week, PSG manager Laurent Blanc stated that he hoped to keep Rabiot at PSG, but that nothing was for certain. Blanc told the French press:
"Depuis le début, le dossier Rabiot est très compliqué. C’est un jeune joueur, qui vient de prolonger. Je souhaite qu’il reste au Paris Saint-Germain parce que, pour moi, c’est le futur du PSG, mais on ne peut pas tout maîtriser. Il a des ambitions très élevés, tout comme son entourage. Bien sûr, j’espère tout de même le conserver."
Basically, Blanc says the Rabiot issue is complicated because he is a young player who has just signed a contract extension (through 2019). Blanc hopes Rabiot will stay in Paris, but states that he cannot control everything.
Rabiot would have been an almost perfect fit in Tottenham's midfield offer just the right mix of offensive and defensive ability. It's a shame that a deal could not be worked out, but as many on this site have stated, a loan without an option to buy made little long-term sense. Tottenham must now turn their attentions elsewhere if they are to shore up their midfield. Perhaps this means there is some truth to rumors linking Tottenham to Cagliari midfielders Godfred Donsah and Albin Ekdal.