Leipzig’s Marcel Sabitzer to Tottenham looking more likely

There’s a real possibility of Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer moving to Tottenham, as Jose Mourinho makes the Austrian his top transfer priority. 

The Austrian is a versatile leader who consistently performs at the highest level. He’s still only 26 years old and is a well-rounded central midfielder with the ability to dominate proceedings. And with Dele Alli almost certainly on his way out, Mourinho believes Sabitzer is the player to take Spurs forward.

The Austrian, paid £5.5 million per year, is the highest wage earner on the German side. And it’s unlikely they’ll be able to offer him the substantial pay wage increase he desires, and deserves. Sabitzer is under contract at Leipzig until the summer of 2021. The longer Leipzig waits to make a deal, the better Spurs’ bargaining position.

He should, barring any unforeseen circumstances, join Tottenham. The question is whether Tottenham push the envelope to bring him aboard in January, a historically difficult transfer period to secure influential transfers.

Sabitzer is thought to be worth about £30 million on the open market. That price, however, can fluctuate wildly depending on numerous variables. It’s likely Spurs will pursue Sabitzer in January, hoping for a perfect deal.

But Daniel Levy, as we know, will not be forced into a merely adequate transaction. He will bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment to put his foot on Leipzig’s jugular, so a summer deal, when Sabitzer’s contract has only a season remaining, is more likely.

Sabitzer is undoubtedly the real deal. You might recall he was influential in dooming Spurs during last season’s Champions League Round of 16.

Spurs embodied a picture of the walking wounded during that fateful aggregate defeat, but take nothing away from the Austrian’s performance. Since then he has been anointed as Leipzig’s club captain, yet another accomplishment that reflects the Austrian’s pedigree.

His impending arrival would spell the end for Dele at Spurs, at least temporarily. Dele is being linked strongly to a potential loan deal at PSG, where he would almost certainly be reunited with former Spurs gaffer Mauricio Pochettino.

If the writing is on the wall for Dele, why not bring in a player of Sabitzer’s caliber? He scores from midfield and is an incredibly intelligent footballer, something Spurs need dearly. So far this season Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min have scored 20 of 26 Spurs’ Premier League goals, further demonstrating their need for goal-scoring support.

Sabitzer would hypothetically help with that ever-growing conundrum.