Despite starting 100% in the Premier League as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Thomas Frank wants to add to his team to enhance his options at his own freedom.
Dane has earned £85 million with a new addition so far, with Mohammed Kudus being the most expensive signature and costing £55 million from West Ham United.
The addition of the Ghanaian big name has already proven valuable, earning two assists in his first day victory over Burnley in North London.
Joao Palhinha has already been added to the ranks, reinforcing the options at the heart of the side – already moving like Kudus – scoring in his victory at Manchester City in Etihad.
However, other new arrivals are set to have the September 1 transfer deadline approaching rapidly and be added in the middle of Frank’s side to provide the talent and depth they need.
This summer, Spurs are looking for a new midfielder
To bolster the midfield division, the Spurs were preparing a move for Leicester City star Bilal El Cannas.
He seemed ready for a move to Crystal Palace, but his move to the Eagles recently collapsed – opening the door to the switch to North London.
However, according to French reports, Marseille star Adrian Rabiott has been in their sights, and recently another name has been thrown into the mix.
The Lily White said he gave a preliminary talk with player representatives on his move to north London after being told he could leave his League One outfit freely after a bust-up in the changing room.
It has also been reported that the French could be available for just 20 million euros (£15 million), and AC Milan and Aston Villa are also interested in signing the former Juventus Star.
Why is Spurs’ latest target Frank’s answer to food?
Spurs fans would have raised their brows when their local rival forkded £105 million in the summer of 2023 to land midfielder Declan Rice.
But just as it’s hard for the Lily Whites to faithfully acknowledge, he was a great addition to Gunners.
The 26-year-old has won six of his 17 appearances against Lily White, often offering a real presence in the middle of the park at such meetings.
His box-to-box nature allows him to have a real impact on the minutes at both ends of the pitch – but if Frank lands his own British version, it will probably spend a cute penny.
However, a bargain deal with Rabiot allows the club to land their version of rice, and the Frenchman has a variety of similar qualities as the former West Ham United star.
The Marseille star was labelled by Fbref as a similar player to Gunners Star based on numbers from last season, and managed to outperform him in many key areas in the process.
Labeled “World Class” by former French star David Trezeguett, Rabiot posted more goals and assists, and replicating such numbers provided Lily White with additional goals scored threats.
How did Rabiot and Rice compare throughout 2024/25? | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | Rabiot | Rice |
The game has been played | 29 | 35 |
Goals and Assistance | 13 | 11 |
Accuracy | 85% | 83% |
Move to the last third | 5.3 | 4.3 |
Progressive Pass | 6.2 | 6.1 |
The tackle won | 1.2 | 0.8 |
Intercept has been performed | 0.9 | 0.8 |
Tackle percentage won | 59% | 41% |
Take-on success | 52% | 48% |
The air won | 1.2 | 1.1 |
Statistics via FBREF | ||
He also managed to find other teammates, notching a higher pass completion rate, with much of the effort per 90 going into the final third, with something like Kudus adding opportunities before the goal.
Without the ball, Rabiot would have been equally dominant, achieving a higher tackle success rate, but also increased interceptions around 90.
Given the statistics created by the 30-year-old in the 2024/25 campaign, the rumored £15 million transfer fee would be an absolute bargain.
If he can replicate such a level on the UK top flight, the Frenchman is a great signature and can hand his answer to Rice to his manager – and that’s a bargain.
