PADERBORN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 01: Nadiem Amiri of Germany U21 in action during the International friendly match between Germany U21 and Hungary U21 at the Benteler Arena on September 1, 2017 in Paderborn, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
According to the Sun, Arsenal and Tottenham are set to fight it out for the signature of Hoffenheim’s £15 million-rated Germany U21 international Nadiem Amiri.
The 22-year-old hasn’t featured for Hoffenheim this season as he continues to recover from a foot injury that he suffered last season.
Even though Amiri is contracted to his current club till 2020, there is a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave should any top European club come up with an offer. (h/t Sun)
This has attracted the attention of the Premier League giants and both the north London giants are keen to make a move for Amiri to shore up their midfield.
Arsenal are faced with the impending exit of Aaron Ramsey in January or next summer while Spurs need to add some new faces to bolster their midfield.
Amiri was one of the stars for Germany at the U21 2017 UEFA European Championship held in Poland and starred for Hoffenheim last season, helping his club secure a Champions League spot this season.
Amiri, whose roots trace back to Afghanistan, has 17 caps for Germany at the U21 level and has been on the fringes of Joachim Low’s senior squad for quite some time.
The 22-year-old is a player blessed with an excellent technique who has the ability to operate in multiple positions in the midfield. Essentially an attacking midfielder by trade, he was used in a central midfield role at Hoffenheim last season and can also play as a wide midfielder down either flank.
Known for his ability to create his own space in the midfield, Amiri uses his sharpness and agility to good effect, leaving the opposition for dead with his sharp turns, silky dribbling skills, deft touches and subtle flick-ons. Apart from that, he is a player with a lot of tenacity and stamina and can contribute a lot to the team with his high work-rate.
Amiri also boats of commendable game-reading ability and combines it with his energy to track back and win the ball back for his team, cutting out the attacks with good interceptions and also carries the ball forward with pace and intent. The 22-year-old also has a good eye for goal from outside the box.
Furthermore, he is an excellent passer of the ball and uses his remarkable vision to pick out the right pass at the right time.
To put things into perspective, he would make an excellent signing for either of the two north London clubs but Tottenham Hotspur can bag a massive coup by taking the first step in this transfer saga.
Mauricio Pochettino is likely to be under pressure to freshen up the squad with new faces in January after failing to land any of his targets this summer. Furthermore, Spurs will need to dip into the transfer market to find a replacement for Mousa Dembele (Sun) and Victory Wanyama (Sun), both of whom are likely to depart the club in the near future.
The Lilywhites need more depth in their squad to challenge for the Premier League title and avoid a potential burn out of options later in the season when the injuries start to creep in.
That said, Spurs should go all out to have the final say over their rivals in this north London transfer saga as Nadiem Amiri is a player with massive potential.