Who is Marcel Sabitzer? The man to transform Tottenham's midfield
Marcel Sabitzer has endured mixed performances against English opposition in the Champions League. Since the start of the 2019/20 season, the Austrian's best rated display came against Tottenham last March, where he earned a rating of 8.66. It was his showing in that 3-0 victory, where Sabitzer scored twice, that left a lasting impression on head coach Jose Mourinho.
Fast forward to the current campaign, and the Austrian's two worst rated outings in the competition came in a 2-0 'home' defeat to Liverpool (5.53) and Manchester United's 5-0 mauling of RB Leipzig (5.10). Nevertheless, those two showings haven't deterred suitors from registering an interest in Sabitzer. Even Liverpool and United have been monitoring the 27-year-old, proof that those isolated showings aren't enough to put off interested parties.
Nevertheless, it is Spurs who remain the frontrunners in the race to secure his services as the north London side gear up to make additions to the squad over the summer. They were previously quoted around £50m for Sabitzer, but with the Austria international entering the final year of his contract, that asking price will have dropped considerably, similar to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's contract situation at Southampton last year.
No longer considered a first team regular for RB Leipzig, too, the German side would be more open to listening to offers for Sabitzer and given their results when he doesn't start - RB Leipzig's win ratio this season rises from 52.6% to 87.5% when Sabitzer does not feature from the off - their stance is likely to have softened.
Spurs, though, are not in any immediate position to splurge this summer, however. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a drop in gate receipts and sales of merchandise and food during match days. As such, the purse strings are likely to have been tightened, particularly in the wake of last summer's new arrivals. The possibility of a lack of Champions League football will limit funds further, and see the attraction of playing for Spurs drop, even with a shiny, world class stadium to use as a selling point.
If Spurs can cash in on some fringe players when the transfer window does open - the likes of Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli are sellable assets that have featured rarely under Mourinho - then talk can turn to potential replacements. In Oliver Skipp, currently on loan and impressing for Norwich, Spurs have a successor for Winks, whereas, theoretically, Sabitzer can cover for the potential exits of the latter pair.
Able to play as a holder, in a central midfield berth or in a more advanced role, Sabitzer can rightly be coined a 'Jack of all trades' player in his position. Indeed, he has six goals and two assists for Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig side in the Bundesliga this season; no central midfielder has more of the former in Germany's top tier.
A conversion rate of 13.0% is hardly worth screaming from the rooftops - that figure ranks 38th of the 85 players to muster 25 or more shots in the Bundesliga in 2020/21 - much of that can be down to Sabitzer's willingness to test his luck from distance with 35 of his 46 shots coming from outside of the box. Using his ability to make late runs into the opposition box, five of Sabizter's six goals have come inside the penalty area, those coming from 11 shots, and makes for a more appealing 45.5% conversion rate inside the box.
Therefore, in using him in a more advanced role in Mourinho's favoured 4-2-3-1 setup, Spurs have an additional goal threat from deeper and given Tanguy Ndombele, with three goals, is their highest scoring player from midfield in the Premier League, the club can benefit from a player of Sabitzer's skillset in the final third. Granted, Alli offers this exact quality to his game, but his lack of work off the ball has seen him fall out of Mourinho's good books after a fine start to life under the experienced Portuguese boss.
Solid returns of 1.4 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per 90 notes Sabitzer's hard graft, an attribute that would sit well with Mourinho, and one that highlights his ability to play a number of roles in the middle of the park. As an additional bonus, the Austrian is able to play out wide where required, so if Mourinho does want to play a narrow system to provide cover for his full-backs, he can do so by shifting Sabitzer to the flank.
Given the box-to-box approach Sabitzer offers, it is Sissoko who is at most risk of losing his spot in the side entirely should Spurs seek to get a deal over the line. The Frenchman, a £30m signing from Newcastle back in 2016, was initially a first choice for Mourinho, starting alongside Hojbjerg at the base of the midfield, but Ndombele's drop back has seen the 31-year-old restricted to a bit-part role, with his only league start in the middle of the park this year coming in the 1-0 loss to Chelsea in February.
Sabitzer can be seen as an immediate upgrade on Sissoko and he has the tools to succeed to England's top tier, becoming a key man for Mourinho's side in the process. Even if Mourinho is relieved of his duties in the summer, Spurs should still pursue Sabitzer if they are able to meet RB Leipzig's demands for the player given he is someone who can transform their midfield for the better.
