MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 28: Florian Neuhaus of Moenchengladbach runs with the ball during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and FC Schalke 04 at Borussia-Park on November 28, 2020 in Moenchengladbach, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
According to the latest Twitter claims from reputed journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft, Tottenham have joined the race to sign highly-rated Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus in the January window.
However, the North Londoners are expected to face stiff competition from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in their pursuit of the 23-year-old. The central midfielder is understood to have a €40m release clause written into his contract with Monclangladbach that runs until 2024.
Florian Neuhaus rose through the youth ranks of VfL Kaufering and 1860 Munich, making his senior competitive debut for the latter in the German second-tier in 2016-17. He was snapped up by Borussia Monchengladbach in the following summer and subsequently loaned out to Fortuna Dusseldorf in the second-tier to enhance his development.
The 23-year-old went on to enjoy an impressive campaign in the 2. Bundesliga, contributing with 6 goals in 27 appearances as Fortuna clinched the league title and promotion to the top-flight. On his return, Neuhaus established himself as a key player in Monchengladbach’s first-team and finished his debut campaign in the Bundesliga with 3 goals and 8 assists in 32 appearances. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Neuhaus has continued to flourish as a regular starter at Borussia Park over the past couple of seasons. In 96 appearances for Monchengladbach in all competitions, the midfielder has amassed 13 goals and 18 assists. He has been among the club’s standout performers in 2020-21, contributing with 5 goals and 6 assists in 25 appearances.
The youngster’s impressive rise in the Bundesliga has also seen him burst on to the scene for Joachim Low’s senior German nation side, accumulating three caps so far.
Tottenham bolstered their midfield with the acquisition of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton this past summer. The Dane has excelled as an undisputed starter in the middle of the park this term, proving himself to be an excellent bargain addition to Mourinho’s squad.
Hojbjerg has played every minute of the club’s PL campaign so far, which pretty much sums up his impact. However, question marks continue to linger over the futures of some of the other midfielders in the squad. Dele Alli has been linked with a loan move to PSG this month after slipping drastically down the pecking order during the first half of the season.
Harry Winks has also lost his status as a regular fixture in the club’s midfield. Mourinho has preferred to utilise Moussa Sissoko alongside Hojbjerg in his double pivot, leaving the England international to cut a frustrated figure on the bench more often than not.
However, with Sissoko set to turn 32 later in the year, Tottenham should ideally have one eye on younger alternatives in the market. Lo Celso has also struggled to hit the heights that were expected of him when he first came to the club. That should further prompt Mourinho to freshen things up in the middle with an eye on the future.
Putting things into perspective, Florian Neuhaus ticks plenty of boxes at Tottenham as a young and developing central midfielder with a wide range of qualities. While essentially a box-to-box operator by trade, the German international has the skill set to switch seamlessly between attacking and defensive roles in the midfield.
The 23-year-old’s statistics at Monchelgladbach clearly underlines his ability to chip in with goals and assists even from a deeper position in the midfield. Neuhaus also has the work-rate to complement his creativity. As evident from his heat map this season, the German is adept at contributing at both ends of the pitch.
Furthermore, Neuhaus has already proven his worth in the group stages of the Champions League this season. That shows he has the talent and potential to thrive in more competitive surroundings moving forward. With his best years still ahead of him at 23, Tottenham should not hesitate to splash the cash on the Bundesliga star as a part of their long-term plans.