According to Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head in a transfer tug of war over Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Matthias Ginter.
Reports claim that both the clubs are keen to bolster their defensive options, with questions marks over the future of several of their key players at the back.
A product of SC Freiburg youth system, Ginter made his professional debut in the Bundesliga with his boyhood club, before making the switch to Borussia Dortmund in 2014. After three years at Signal Iduna Park, he opted to sign for city rivals Monchengladbach in search of more first-team action.
A part of the German side that won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ginter has represented his nation at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, even though he didn’t play a single minute in either of his nation’s World Cup campaigns.
Standing at 6ft 2in with a towering frame, the 25-year-old is essentially a centre-back by trade but has been used as a right-back and as a defensive midfielder due to his ball-playing abilities. Known for his calmness and composure in possession, Ginter is adept at playing the ball from the back, averaging 64.8 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 88.4 in the Bundesliga this term. (Whoscored.com)
Although he is not particularly renowned for his tackling, the German likes to dominate the opposition with his strength and aerial prowess, keeping them at bay with his superior positional sense and technical abilities. Furthermore, he is quite capable of chipping in with goals and assists with inch-perfect long balls from the back.
To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal signing for both the north London clubs. However, Manchester United should also look to enter the race in the signature of the player.
The Red Devils did not indulge in any transfer activity in the January transfer window, with caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting the club back on track with an unbeaten run of 11 games since the departure of Jose Mourinho.
But, they should look to invest in the summer to bolster their squad, with defence being one area they need reinforcements for.
While United have already struck gold by tying Anthony Martial and Phil Jones down to new contracts, they should not hesitate to buy another top quality centre-back to increase competition for places at the back.
In all honesty, United will become a formidable prospect with Ginter in their squad to provide cover and competition for the likes of Jones, Victor Lindelof, Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly. That being said, they should go all out to sign the 25-year-old German wall in the summer.