Barcelona deny Rabiot agreement

La Liga leaders Barcelona released a statement Saturday denying an agreement between the club and Paris Saint-Germain wantaway Adrien Rabiot.

The statement concedes that communications between the club and their French counterparts did not breach any tampering rules. "The only contact made was during the month of August and one week ago. In both cases, this contact was made with PSG's sporting management to show FC Barcelona's interest in player Adrien Rabiot," per the Catalan club's official release.

"FC Barcelona have always wanted to work with the utmost transparency in their dealings with PSG and with any other club," the statement added. "FC Barcelona refute the existence of any type of agreement with PSG player Adrien Rabiot."

Rabiot, 23, has been frozen out of Thomas Tuchel's side after rejecting the terms of a lucrative new agreement at PSG, and with his current deal set to lapse in July, the midfielder is free to negotiate with potential suitors when the January transfer window opens.