Arsenal have reportedly entered the race to sign Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig as they hope to beat bitter rivals Tottenham to the midfielder’s signature.
Sabitzer has been tracked for a few months by Spurs but his star showings as captain of the German side in the Champions League, including at home against Manchester United, have now attracted the attention of many clubs.
Arsenal are one of those sides, according to journalist Julien Laurens, who said on his ‘Gab & Juls Show’ on ESPN that they are ‘very keen’ on the £45million-rated star. Arsenal’s poor record in front of goal this term – only Burnley and Wolves have scored fewer than their 16 goals among teams outside the relegation zone – means they are desperate for a creative spark.
Sabitzer is thought to provide that from midfield but he also has goals to his game and was on target to help knock Tottenham out of the Champions League last-16 earlier in the year. Although the Austria international is keen on a move to north London, it is unlikely Leipzig will allow the 26-year-old to depart in January.
However, his contract expires in 18 months’ time meaning he could be available for a slightly reduced fee in the summer. Leipzig though have not given up hope of keeping their star midfielder, and sporting director Markus Krosch will hope to open talks with Sabitzer in the spring.
He told Bild: ‘We wanted to end the year first, both sides will deal more intensively with the topic in the spring.’ Asked about outside interest from other clubs, he added: ‘As I said, he has made a great development. It goes without saying that other clubs also notice this.’
Sabitzer has been at Leipzig since 2014 and in that time has gone to make 204 appearances in all competitions, scoring 46 goals and providing 38 assists. He is versatile across the midfield, even in a deeper role, and can also play on either flank in an attack. This term he has three goals and three assists from his 16 games across all competitions.
