Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in RB Leipzig playmaker Marcel Sabitzer, who played a crucial role in eliminating Tottenham from this season’s Champions League.
According to Bild, the Portuguese manager has been keeping close tabs on the Austrian international, who scored a brace in Leipzig’s 3-0 win over Tottenham in the Second-Leg of their Round-of-16 tie in the Champions League earlier this month, knocking Spurs out of the competition and ensuring a second run to the final was sniffed out at an early stage.
With the report stating that the East German side value the 26-year-old midfielder at €50m (£46.1m), Spurs will have to pay a hefty fee for Sabitzer, who Bundesliga.com described as a player with similar qualities to England icon David Beckham as well as being a playmaker with a ‘killer’ technique in set-piece situations.
The former Rapid Vienna star has been an influential performer for Leipzig this season, with the midfielder earning enough reputation in the squad to wear the captain’s armband on several occasions as the Bundesliga side aim to clinch their first-ever league title and end Bayern Munich’s dominance in Germany.
Yet for Tottenham, Sabitzer might be an odd signing to make given what Spurs need most in the transfer market and what they already have at the club.
With Mourinho already boasting the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Winks, Eric Dier and Tanguy Ndombele as central midfielders, another big-name player to add to the ranks could cause some friction over playing time amongst the Spurs side. And with the Tottenham defence in need of improvements this summer, splashing the best part of £50m on Sabitzer could be viewed as a waste of funds from supporters eager to see the Portuguese manager improve the team.