Florian Grillitsch (Getty Images)
According to the Daily Star, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out for the signing of Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch.
The Austrian international is contracted to his current club till 2021 but reports claim that he does have a release clause in his contract and both the north London giants are ready to trigger that in January.
The 23-year-old has impressed for Hoffenheim since his move from Werder Bremen back in 2017. He was one of the cornerstones of the club’s successful Bundesliga campaign last term which saw them qualify for the Champions League.
The Austrian has played in each of Hoffenheim’s six games in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and came under the radar of the Premier League giants with his impressive performance against Manchester City.
Grillitcsh, who has been capped by Austria on 10 occasions, is a technically-gifted and tactically versatile midfielder who is comfortable in central and defensive roles in the midfield but has also been deployed as a left-sided midfielder at times.
The 23-year-old is a good reader of the game in the air as well as off the ground and has the ability to cut out the attacks with crucial tackles and interceptions. He is someone who always likes to get close to the ball and is also known for his superior work rate. Grillitsch has averaged 2.2 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga this term, which speaks volumes of his game-reading ability and awareness as a defensive midfielder.
The Austrian is also known for his ability to dictate the tempo of the game from a deep position in the midfield. He is an excellent passer of the ball and has an impressive range of passing, both short and long, and he uses it to switch the play and change the focal point of the attack. Grillitsch has averaged 43.3 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 81.1, including 2.8 successful long balls per game.
He is not particularly known for his goalscoring prowess but he is never afraid to embark on powerful runs higher up the pitch and does not hesitate to put his foot through the ball.
To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal signing for both the clubs in question but Arsenal should try to take the initiative and aim to have the final say in this north London transfer saga.
With Aaron Ramsey likely to head for the exit door upon the expiry of his contract, Arsenal need a top quality central midfielder to replace the Welshman. Mohamed Elneny is another player who has been linked with a move away from the Emirates (h/t Mirror) and the Gunners might find themselves short of options in the central midfield should both the players depart the club.
Lucas Torreira has been one of the standout performers for Arsenal in central midfield this season while Matteo Guendouzi has also proven himself to be a perfect fit for Unai Emery’s philosophy at Arsenal. However, Granit Xhaka has been a bit inconsistent, letting the team down with bizarre moments in a few games.
Arsenal need more depth in their squad to prevent a potential burn out of options later in the season and someone like Grillitsch can certainly help the Gunners beat their north London rivals to a top-four finish. That said, they should not hesitate to splash the cash to land the Austrian in January.