Hoffenheim’s Bundesliga star Florian Grillitsch is reportedly a target for Premier League clubs – but will Spurs renew their interest in the Austrian international?
As Norwich City boss Daniel Farke pointed out on Thursday afternoon, statistics aren’t the be all and end all even in a modern game obsessed with data and digits
“This is not FIFA football manager. Statistics are important but let’s make sure we are not too addicted,” he told the Pink’Un, defending his decision to leave Emi Buendia out of the team.
That does not mean, however, that the numbers cannot paint a rather accurate picture of a player’s strengths and weaknesses.
And with Hoffenheim’s all-round enforcer Florian Grillitsch seemingly on his way to the Premier League this summer, with Arsenal, Southampton and Newcastle United apparently interested in triggering his £21.5 million release-clause, an Austrian international could be worth every penny – statistically speaking, of course.
Perhaps a Tottenham side who looked short of quality, energy and poise in the centre of the park during successive defeats to RB Leipzig and Chelsea should be back in the market for a player they tried and failed to sign during the summer of 2019, according to SportBild.
Of all the midfielders at Jose Mourinho’s disposal, only the metronomic Harry Winks averages a better pass completion rate than Grillitsch (88 per cent) after all.
One of the Bundesliga’s most underrated playmakers is statistically better with the ball at his feet than Moussa Sissoko, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovanni Lo Celso while putting Gedson Fernandes and Eric Dier’s passing stats (76 per cent accuracy) to shame.
Grillitsch has more to his game than reliable distribution, however. The 24-year-old is as effective without the ball as he is with it and none of Tottenham’s middle-men can match his tally of 1.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game.
Mourinho has tried a whole host of options in a challenging number six role this season with mixed results. But perhaps Grillitsch is the man to solve this problem position.
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