Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly set to battle Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen for the in-form and highly-rated Freiburg forward Maximilian Philipp.
German publication Sport Bild have suggested that Arsenal and Tottenham are interested in the in-form Freiburg forward Maximilian Philipp. The highly-rated striker seems to be in the midst of a four-way tussle, with Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen also showing interest in the 22-year-old.
Maximilian Philipp is a Berlin-born forward who came through the ranks at Hertha Berlin and moved through several clubs in his youth, before landing at SC Freiburg on a free transfer. The player has since risen through the ranks at the club, and has now established himself in the first-team setup.
Philipp has been in good form this season, with five goals and an assist to his name in 13 Bundesliga appearances, while notching up two assists in the DFB-Pokal cup as well. Aside from his natural position as central striker, the player can also play on either wing.
The youngster’s form seems to have caught the attention of big clubs, both in Germany and England. Dortmund are always on the lookout for promising young additions to the squad, in line with their philosophy of developing future stars, and are interested in the 22-year-old.
Bayer Leverkusen has seen Javier Hernandez slow down after a brilliant debut season and his lack of goals has brought about speculation that the Mexican might leave. Even if he ends up staying, Leverkusen might look to add another striker, just in case the drought continues for the Little Pea.
Arsenal are looking to add a striker to their ranks. The Gunners have already been linked with a rejected £56 million bid for Andrea Belotti and could now look elsewhere, with Torino asking an even more exorbitant transfer fee. Philipp is likely to command a lesser asking price and could fit the bill at the Emirates.
Even though Tottenham have Harry Kane to lead their lineup, Vincent Janssen’s failure to impress after earning a summer move has seen Spurs linked with a move to add another striker to their squad.
The German’s Freiburg deal runs till 2019 and it is difficult to estimate his value in the eyes of the club. But one can expect the interested parties to test Freiburg’s resolve with advances for the 22-year-old, and the player’s form could very well take him to one of these top European clubs