Tottenham Hotspur have been widely linked with a move for Adrien Rabiot in recent days, but the 23-year-old's problematic history should force Mauricio Pochettino to focus his efforts on signing another reported target, Youri Tielemans. 

According to a recent report from Metro, Rabiot has already rejected a move to Spurs in favour of Liverpool. Various reports have all pointed towards a different conclusion to the ongoing Rabiot saga, but a report from TEAMtalk suggests that Daniel Levy and Pochettino have their eye on another midfield target.

According to the report, Spurs are in the hunt for Monaco's Youri Tielemans, with Leicester City boss Claude Puel appearing to rule out a potential move following a string of reports linking his side with a January bid.

On paper, both Tielemans and Rabiot would be excellent additions to Tottenham's squad. That Barcelona have been consistently linked with a move for the PSG misfit vindicates Rabiot's reputation as one of the best young midfielders in Europe, but his attitude problem is a notable concern.

Rabiot's most public display of petulance arrived shortly before the World Cup after he was omitted from Didier Deschamps' France squad. He was selected for the standby list but he declined the opportunity to wait in the wings, a decision which was presumably born out of anger in the wake of his omission from the 23-man squad.

The presence of a player of Rabiot's temperament would be detrimental to the harmonious environment Pochettino has created in north London, so the Argentine should target Tielemans instead.

The 21-year-old Belgium international signed for Monaco in a deal worth £21.63 million in 2017, and he has been a regular for the struggling Ligue 1 outfit this season, scoring five goals from 20 appearances.

While Spurs will undoubtedly be looking for much more than just goals in a potential midfield recruit, his tendency to find the back of the net is a factor which will naturally capture their attention.

Tielemans is best known for his playmaking qualities and his desire to influence the game in the final-third, and the fact he scored 35 goals and provided 31 assists from 185 appearances at Anderlecht proves that reputation is thoroughly justified.

The Monaco man may be two years younger than Rabiot but he already has 13 more caps at international level, and the fact his history is yet to be blighted by acrimonious displays of unprofessional behaviour suggests he would be the far wiser addition of the two Tottenham-linked midfielders.

And, if Tielemans makes the switch to Tottenham, he could yet represent the club's long-term replacement for Mousa Dembele.

Tottenham fans - thoughts? Let us know below!