Say what you love about the dynamic duo that is Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur is sort of a far cry from playing engaging football.
Effective? Absolutely, in fact there aren’t many teams in the Premier League who are as good at doing ‘what they do’ as Spurs. But attractive? Not particularly.
This is far from being a criticism – many “pretty” football teams can be found under Jose Mourinho’s side in the Premier League table. However, the Portuguese tactician’s decision to pack his midfielder with combative and powerful players has certainly seen a change in the way they play the game.
however, is this her decision? Or is it a style of play he has been forced to rely on? While Mourinho has always been renowned for his ability to deliver results by any means necessary, the worrying drop in the form of Dele Alli has meant he just doesn’t have the option of a silky midfielder and creative.
Recent reports have linked Spurs to a decision by RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, while the club are also reportedly considering a sensational move for Christian Eriksen, just a year after leaving north London for San Siro. Mourinho clearly wants to add cunning to his powerful midfielder, but who should he choose?
We looked at both players before deciding what would be the best option for Spurs.
Let’s start with the basic logistics of the respective agreements.
RB Leipzig is no cup of tea when it comes to negotiating transfers, and rumors have it that they would demand a fee of £ 45million before they even consider the possibility of parting ways with Sabitzer.
The Austrian is under contract with the Bundesliga squad until 2022 – which means he still has 18 months to fulfill his current contract – while Leipzig is not exactly in a position to demand all that ‘he wants, although they are still far from below. pressure to sell.
After moving to Italy less than a year ago, Eriksen’s move to Inter seems already doomed.
Inter have not placed a price tag on the head of their runaway midfielder, although reports suggest an offer of around £ 25million would be enough to secure his services – not a bad one small profit of £ 8million given he has done absolutely nothing since joining the club.
Unlike Sabitzer, Eriksen has long signed his current contract with Inter, having signed a four-and-a-half-year contract when he moved to San Siro in January 2020.
Sabitzer’s quality at long range is one of his main attributes, whether in open play or on set piece. The 26-year-old has a poor delivery and has proven he has quality with his left and right foot, while his goalscoring statistics are very impressive for a midfielder, having netted 43 in 194 for Leipzig.
Eriksen’s qualities are no secret to anyone who follows Premier League football, with the Denmark international proving repeatedly that he was the winner of the Spurs game during his time in north London.
His low center of gravity and ability to seamlessly move the ball from side to side make him a nightmare to defend against, and he too has shown he is more than capable of doubling the numbers for the season when he was playing to the best of his ability.
BUT, the last part of this sentence is the big deal …
While Eriksen’s qualities are unquestionable, he hasn’t shown them for quite some time now.
Looking frankly disinterested in his final months at Spurs, the Dane has not started since moving to Inter. He has only made four Serie A starts this season, has completed 90 league minutes just twice since moving to San Siro and has only scored three league goals in the past 18 months.
Meanwhile, Sabizter is a player at the top of his game who regularly plays for Leipzig in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Not only would he be much sharper than Eriksen, but he is also in much better shape, having scored as many league goals in the past three months as Inter have in 18 months.
When Eriksen plays at his peak he could be an asset to almost any team in Europe, and if anyone could see him returning to his best, it’s Mourinho.
However, Spurs don’t have time to wait for players to come back to their best. This season represents a brilliant opportunity to put their silver hoodoo to bed, with the league wide open, a Carabao Cup final on the horizon and the Europa League far from out of the question.
While Eriksen would certainly be the cheaper option of the two, he’s two years older than Sabitzer, hasn’t played regularly for a long time, and may never return to the Eriksen from three or four ago. years. At 26, Sabitzer still has time to develop, is in good shape and already appears to be a top player.
It really is obvious.
