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Tottenham’s January transfer window hinges entirely on Adrien Rabiot

By Rucker Haringey

Paris Saint-Germain's French midfielder Adrien Rabiot celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 20, 2018. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain's French midfielder Adrien Rabiot celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 20, 2018. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Adrien Rabiot isn’t the only player Tottenham might sign in January, but he’s the only target capable of really helping Spurs this season.

Tottenham haven’t narrowed their January shopping list to one player, but Adrien Rabiot is by far the club’s most important potential target. He is the only prospect on Mauricio Pochettino’s radar that can reliably be expected to help Tottenham on the pitch this season.

For the record, we’re still quite skeptical of the club’s chances to reel in the PSG midfielder. Recent reports claim Spurs have lodged a £20 million bid for his services. That might not seem like a lot of cash in today’s market, but it’s a sizable fee for a player with just six months left on his current contract.

Interestingly, the club’s ability to bring Rabiot to England may hinge on one of their Premier League peers. Allegedly, PSG are only willing to sell their talented midfielder if they can find a replacement. Everton star Idrissa Gueye is their ideal choice to fill that void. It’s unclear whether or not the Toffees are willing to let such an important player leave this month.

There’s also the small issue of Rabiot’s potential wage demands. At least part of his motivation to leave Paris is his dissatisfaction with his compensation. It’s hard to imagine Tottenham paying more than Ligue 1’s richest club. The player’s links with a move to Barcelona are also a potential roadblock. It’s possible Rabiot will want to wait until the summer to move to La Liga on a free transfer.

The one wild card in all of this is Pochettino. He is one of the most persuasive managers in all of Europe. In particular, he has a terrific rapport with young players. The fact that he’s reached out to Rabiot personally within the last week gives Tottenham a chance to bring him to North London. It’s not a good chance, but it is better than nothing.

The much more likely outcome for Tottenham this month is for Spurs to bring in a player or two from the Championship. Spurs have been linked with several prominent players from England’s second division, but Jarrod Bowen has been the name garnering the most traction. Ironically he might cost the same price as Rabiot, but he isn’t a player who is likely to help Tottenham reach their immediate goals.

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Even so, Tottenham fans have been starved for an incoming transfer since the club’s summer of slumber. Signing Rabiot would be rapturous, but moving for Bowen would be solid business as well.

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