Arsenal are reportedly in pole position to sign RB Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer, who is also a target for local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
As reported by Eye Football, Arsenal are leading the race to secure the services of Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig. The Austrian international is also the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur, while Bayern Munich are also closely monitoring the situation of the player.
Sabitzer has now been a pivotal player for RB Leipzig for over half-a-decade now. In this period, he has not only established himself as one of the best players on show in the Bundesliga, but he has also managed to enjoy a meteoric rise in stature at the Red Bull Arena, with Leipzig installing him as club captain in the past year.
During his time at Leipzig, the 26-year-old has gone on to feature 206 times for the club, with 46 goals and 38 assists to show for his efforts. The player’s progress over the past five years or so has invariably caught the eye of a number of top clubs across Europe, two of them being Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal are currently on quite a resurgent run, having won each of their last four games. However, this winning streak should not paper over cracks, with creativity still being an issue for them to some extent. Indeed, it is the rise of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe that is pleasant and promising for the Gunners.
But, it is undeniable that they could still do without a midfielder who could sit in the double pivot and provide an injection of creativity. To that end, Sabitzer is a viable target for Arsenal, who have only recently joined Tottenham in the race to sign the 26-year-old.
The interest from Tottenham makes sense as well, considering Dele Alli is facing an uncertain future at the club, despite his stellar showing against Marine AFC in the FA Cup this past weekend. In addition, it has been reported that Gedson Fernandes is set to return Benfica this month.
The departure of the duo would open up at least one spot in the Tottenham midfield unit, with Sabitzer’s versatility meaning he could be an option for various positions in Jose Mourinho’s side. In addition to Spurs and Arsenal, Bayern Munich are also keeping tabs on Sabitzer’s situation while Manchester United have been previously linked with him as well.
The report, though, suggests that while both Arsenal and Tottenham are prepared to meet his €55 million valuation, the Gunners are leading the race to sign him. What now remains to be seen is if Arsenal do indeed shell out the required sum to sign him, or if Spurs can manage to swoop him away instead.
