Barcelona signing Frenkie de Jong may have been the best thing to happen to Tottenham in the transfer market since last January, as reports in Spain say that it may have opened the door for the Premier League side to land PSG's Adrien Rabiot.
The Catalan giants were strong favourites to sign the 23-year-old upon the expiry of his contract in the summer, and are thought to remain interested, but their £65m move for Ajax midfielder De Jong means that Rabiot is no longer an 'absolute priority.'
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Spanish outlet SPORT reports that while Barcelona's interest cools, Mauricio Pochettino's has intensified, as the manager is reported to have personally met with the French midfielder to outline his proposed role in his regenerated Spurs' side for the 2019/20 season.
Barcelona, meanwhile, feel they have done all they can to convince the player and his representatives that they are his best option, and are now leaving the ball in his court, so to speak.
They remain firmly interested, and see a future with both Rabiot and De Jong in the side, but the feeling is that he is no longer the high-priority target he once was.
Whatever happens, Rabiot looks certain to leave the French champions one way or another, as reports of the player refusing to commit to his current suitors have coincided with him being left out of the squad for their last three Ligue 1 matches.
PSG have been linked with various midfielders as potential replacements, with Leandro Paredes overtaking Everton's Idrissa Gueye at the front of the queue, while Napoli's Allan has also been mentioned to be under consideration.
Source : 90min