Marcel Sabitzer has told RB Leipzig he won’t sign a new contract amid reports linking the midfielder with a move to Premier League giants Arsenal and Spurs, as reported by Goal.
Leipzig have a superb track record when it comes to turning up-and-coming youngsters into elite-level talent.
But when it comes to keeping them – and building a squad capable of unseating Bayern Munich – well, that’s when things tend to crumble.
The 2020 Champions League semi-finalists have sold Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate already this summer, while the club’s biggest asset – manager Julian Nagelsmann – is now directing Bayern’s all-star cast, the footballing Tarantino leading sport’s answer to Pulp Fiction.
So losing Sabitzer, their long-serving, tempo-setting, set piece-taking captain, would be a massive blow to Leipzig, particularly if he leaves so late in the window.
Will Marcel Sabitzer opt for Arsenal or Spurs?
Arsenal are interested, according to BILD. As are arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The Athletic, meanwhile, believes Sabitzer could be available for as little as £12 million with just ten months remaining on his contract.
And on that subject, the Austria international has told Leipzig he has no intention of signing an extension.
So, do Die Roten Bullen cash in now, with less than a month of the transfer window remaining, or risk losing Sabitzer for free next summer?
That, we imagine, is a decision Jesse Marsch would like to avoid as he settles into the Red Bull Arena dugout under pressure to build on foundations laid by Nagelsmann during two superb seasons at the nouveau-riche, taurine-powered outfit.
After snapping up Albert Sambi Lokonga and retaining the services of Granit Xhaka, Arsenal have shifted their focus from a tough-tackling enforcer to a defence-splitting number ten.
Sabitzer, at £12 million, would cost a fraction of the fee Leicester City want for James Maddison.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
