Reports: Paris Saint-Germain to report Barcelona for illegal "tapping up" of star player

What's the story?

The modern rivalry between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona has taken another twist as the Qatari-owned French champions have officially warned the Catalans that they could be reported to FIFA over their approach for midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

The warning, as reported by Spanish outlet Sport, has come in the form of an official letter sent from Paris to Barcelona. The letter advised the Spanish champions to cease their pursual of Rabiot and reminded the club that talking to a player's agent when he has more than six months left on his contract is illegal as per FIFA rules.

In case you didn't know...

Barcelona has been heavily linked with a move for Adrien Rabiot this summer, but have yet to submit an official bid for his services. The 23-year-old midfielder is out of contract next summer and has reportedly rejected the offer of a new contract from the Parisian club, demanding a huge €5 million-a-year deal to stay at the Parc Des Princes.

Due to his contract situation, the French midfielder has attracted huge interest from elite clubs around Europe. Of the interested teams, AC Milan and Barcelona are thought to be the frontrunners in the race for his signature either for a nominal fee this summer or on a free transfer next summer.

The heart of the matter

Despite Barcelona's knowledge of FIFA rules, which clearly state a club can only approach a player once there are less than six months on his contract, Paris Saint-Germain claims that the Catalans have already discussed contract terms with the midfielder's agent.

If this is true it would mean Barcelona have breached FIFA rules and can be reported for illegal "tapping up" of another club's player. However, despite the official letter threatening action against the Spanish champions, Paris Saint-Germain have yet to take any further steps in reporting the matter to FIFA.

On the other hand, Barcelona claims that they sent Pep Segura and Eric Abidal to Paris as early as July to discuss their interest in signing Rabiot. After receiving the letter, the Catalans very quickly pointed out that they tried to do things the "right way" and expressed their perplexment at receiving the communication.

Rumour Rating: 8/10

This news comes from a reliable source and it seems very likely that Paris Saint-Germain would be willing to report Barcelona if they have met with Rabiot's agent. The letter sent from Paris to Barcelona has angered the Catalans, who believe they have done nothing wrong.

What's next?

This feud will make it very difficult for Barcelona to do business with Paris Saint-Germain during the remainder of this transfer window and beyond. It is likely that any chance of Rabiot moving to the Nou Camp this summer has now disappeared and we will have to wait to see if the Parisians follow through with their threat and report Barcelona to FIFA.