A transfer that Spurs fans can finally have faith in

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For too long there has always been an air of hesitation when it comes to new signings for Spurs fans. After summer 2013, we have learnt that it is unwise to put all of our eggs in one basket (player), as the next flop is just around the corner.

But now it seems that we can shake off our buying blues with what we believe will be our first signing of this winter window.

Details revealed

We had reported earlier this week that Frenchman Adrien Rabiot was about to become our first January signing, only for Pochettino to say that there would be no incomings before our game against Palace tomorrow.

French magazine LE10 Sport have now shed some light on why there is a hold-up. They believe that PSG Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi hasn’t given the deal his go-ahead yet, and that is why there is a delay. As a result, reports add that Spurs are ‘playing it cool’ at present in order to maintain good relations with the French club so that they will eventually get their man.

There is a general consensus, in France, that Rabiot only signed a new deal with PSG as it included a clause that says the player could leave on loan in January – to a club that he [the player] wanted to move to. This club, for Rabiot, has turned out to be Spurs.

Spurs want Rabiot, Rabiot wants Spurs

The notion of Rabiot wanting a move to Spurs is expanded upon further in the French media. Le Parisien, who are considered highly reliable in France, believe that Rabiot is desperate to come to White Hart Lane in January.

Le Parisien have spoken to someone close to Rabiot, who has been quoted as saying: “Adrien wants to become a major player in the club in the coming years. But he views this step to Tottenham as a powerful experience that will allow him to grow." The reason why Le Parisien say ‘someone’ is because they don’t reveal who said the quotes.

What this says of Rabiot can only be positive in terms of his ambition to come and better himself at our club. Le Parisien have put it that - 'the midfielder of 19 years wants absolutely to leave the capital as soon as possible to join Tottenham in London on loan until the end of the season.' However, it seems the only thing stopping Rabiot’s ‘absolute desire’ is his current club PSG.

More good news

If you’re still unconvinced by the prospect of signing a 19-year-old with no PL experience, maybe you can still be convinced yet! Le Parisien (who seem to be our bearers of good news) also believe that it is both Paul Mitchell and Mauricio Pochettino who are pushing for this deal to go through.

We had said last week that it was Franco Baldini who instigated our interest in Rabiot, enraging his former employers AS Roma in the process. However, Le Parisien believe the possible signing of Rabiot will showcase Mitchell’s new role to a tee.

Le Parisien add that Mitchell, who’s role it is to analyse what options we have within before dipping into the market, has specifically chosen Rabiot because: Nabil Bentaleb is going to the African Cup of Nations, Ryan Mason is injured, and what they [Le Parisien] call 'chronic poor form' from Paulinho.

The French media outlet conclude that Mitchell has apparently been aware of Rabiot's talent for some time, having kept an eye on him during youth tournaments for Southampton. As well as Mitchell, Mauricio Pochettino is said to be impressed by the 19-year-old's intelligence on the pitch and the technical ability from his left foot.

 

While Daniel Levy is in charge of the transfers we'll be lucky to get Mickey Mouse to sign. WE WANT CLASS, NOT SECOND RATE.

 

This would be a nice signing for Spurs. The kid obviously wants to come, and he has been pretty good when he has been called upon by PSG. He did well for Toulouse in a brief loan spell there as well. Poch works well with young talent, and these are the kind of players that we could really use, even if it is just for 5 months.

Plus, don't forget that he'll be desperate to get into the French team as they host Euro 2016. If he can't get into the PSG squad (who knows who they'll sign in the summer??), we may well keep him longer. I wonder if Hugo would have any influence?

 

Absolute pointless signing. Hinders the players we already got. Can hardly build around someone who won't be there come Aug!! Pay the money and get a cabaye sissoko Schneiderlin moutinho McCarthy, or even a,delph ffs

 

Spot on Big Fran. A club of our size and ambition should be looking at Permanent deals and not loan deals.
Loans only suit the parent club. Rabiot, as good as he sounds, on a 5 month loan is ridiculous and he'll want assurances that he'll play regularly, therefore hindering the likes of Mason, Bentaleb and Stambouli. Nonsense signing IMO.

 

Did anyone actually read the article. Bentaleb is off to the African nations and Mason's injured so obviously neither Poch or Mitchell think much of Capoue or Paulinho (I'm assuming that Dembele and Stamboulli are still in favour and to fair, when Paulinho has come on he does seem to have generally played in a more attacking role with the holding midfielders behind him which is where he was apparently playing for Corinthians).

That said, apparently we stand absolutely no chance of a permanent move (as the player has committed his future to PSG) so it is a bit of a strange one. Just been watching his youtube clips and I can see potentially why they might want him, he's strong, confident on the ball and seems to have a very sweet pass).

I personally would have preferred us to have signed an aging class midfielder like Pirlo or Cambiasso in the summer just gone rather that Stamboulli. With so much youth in midfield if would have been good if they could have had an old master at the club to learn from (Remember how much Sandro calmed down during Scott Parker's first season).

All in all, I started this comment trying to defend this transfer but looking at it, it makes less and less sense so am forced to agree with the naysayers - albeit for slightly different reasons.

 

No so sure about Scheiderlin (overpriced) or cabaye but Sissoko is a beast who scores goals and creates chances so of the other 3 you've mentioned I'd prefer him.

Also wouldn't mind Wanyama, he did a great job for Celtic and everyone seems to have missed the fact that Southampton last season dipped in form when he got injured! Based on his quotes he apparently loves Pochettino.

If we do have injury issues while Bentaleb's away and Mason's injured what do people think about pushing Chiriches into the holding midfield position?

My thinking on this one is that we need to have him in the shop window as I don't think he wants to be at Spurs judging from the manner of his performances and he can do less damage in midfield than he does at CB or RB and to be fair he does carry the ball forward decently at times!

 

Just occurred to me that this may be a specific Europa league signing remember that a champions league place is a stake. I need to be able to credit our manager with more sense than to expect a player from a very weak league to be able to adapt to the PL and make an impact in 5 months.

Looking again at his style of play he does get a lot of time on the ball and the tackling in France can be very half hearted and lacking in intensity whereas I think if he's playing Europa league football where it tends to be slower and more ponderous which means he can probably hit the ground running in that competition!

Just a thought, otherwise have to agreed with Big Fran that this makes no sense!

 

Not sure whats not to like here. Top quality, internationally capped, highly rated future superstar, on loan as cover from one of the wealthiest clubs in the world. No massive financial commitment on our part (which there will not be until we have shifted 3 of 4 of the 7 or 8 expensive and highly paid central midfielders we already have). The major plus point is that this guy is in the cultured defensive midfilder mould that our manager seems to favour and so should fit into our playing style.

We should be prioritising any major spending on 1 or more strikers and this signing allows us to do that without spending the earth on a 4th choice CM. It also removes any pressure to sell, allowing us to hold out for the best price possible for our currently unwanted CM's

Seems like a good deal in a business and footballing sense to me, especially when you consider how much of an inflated price most of the other players mentioned in the comments would command.

 

I agree David Schneiderlin is overpriced but all top players are I'm afraid. When we were linked in the summer I didn't know much about him so I've watched him this year and I'm very impressed. He obviously is a holding mid first and foremost and does the job well but the boy can play. He reminds me of carrick with the way he can switch n spread the play out to both flanks but he also shown he can score goals this term and obviously has a bit more than carrick steel wise. It took a long time to replace carrick and it set us bk years until modders! This is probably the most important role in the game at present look at the impact of matic at Chelsea similar style really. Wanyama also a
Good shout tho.

 

The point is signings like this offer no progression long term and hinder players we have ie mason n bentaleb who will be bk by
the ttime this boy has kicked a ball. Saying that the only cm I rate is dembele so a first choice one needs to be signed asap and build a team round him. As for waiting til the summer for paulinho n capoue to be sold in the summer these boys really need to go now. Their price is depreciating by the day and with combined wages of around 100k a week that's a lot of money from now til then!

 

Ha ha, 3 seasons of random expensive purchases and now we seem to be indetifing players who fit our system and wont ever be an expensive mistake and you're NOW questioning our long term progression... tell me how having 12 central midfielders on our books at one point during the summer helped the long term progresion of Bentaleb and Mason or for that matter Carroll! You seem to be advicating spending more money on a position in which we are vastly overstocked.

I did not at anypoint say wait until the summer to sell! Struggeling teams will pay more at the end of the winter transfer window than at the start as their situation becomes worse. However if we went and spent £30 million plus on another midfielder that will be money that is unavailable to spend on positons where we are short in numbers and quality, i.e. forwards! We would then be in sale mode trying to recoup that money spent on a midfielder by selling midfielders. This loan would remove that pressure and hinders nobody.

This guy will not be first choice, we need cover, we are not going to spend on a new midfielder until we get rid of some of the ones we got, signing this guy means we wont get bent over whilst selling, he is good, signing him means we can prioritise signing players we need, the only other option seems to be breaking our transfer record to sign ANOTHER midfield which would definitely hinder the long term progression of our current midfielder.