RB Leipzig chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff has refused to rule out selling Marcel Sabitzer after Tottenham Hotspur held talks with the Bundesliga star, speaking to Sport BILD.
The sudden departure of Jose Mourinho not only left Spurs chasing Champions League qualification without a full-time manager in the dugout, it also threw their summer transfer plans up in the air.
The likes of Emerson Royal and Jerome Boateng were most certainly Mourinho targets – and the same could potentially be said about an all-action Austria international.
Earlier this month, The Express reported the former Real Madrid boss had instructed his Tottenham bosses to bring Sabitzer to north London this summer.
Leipzig’s very own ‘mentality monster’ is expected to leave the Red Bull Arena before his contract expires in 2022. Spurs have also held initial talks with the club’s £36 million-rated captain.
What Mourinho’s departure means for a potential Sabitzer swoop, however, remains to be seen.
Either way, when asked by BILD if he could rule out the prospect of selling Sabitzer before the start of 2021/22, Mintzlaff’s response was telling – no, he most certainly could not.
“With the newcomers (Mohamed Simakan, Josko Gvardiol and Brian Brobbey), we now have a squad size of 25 for the new season. We have a size of 21 in mind,” says Mintzlaff, admitting Leipzig need to trim a bloated squad.
“So something else will happen. That is logical. We can not only buy, but also have to give up players from time to time.
“I am not at all ruling out the possibility that we will strengthen ourselves further. That has something to do with long-term and good squad planning.”
In March, BILD reported Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were also keeping close tabs on the Sabitzer situation.
Tenacious yet technically gifted, a natural-born leader with an eye for goal, it’s hard to imagine a player better suited to Klopp’s midfield.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
