Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be keen on signing RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, according to talkSPORT.

Transfer expert Alex Crook told the 'White and Jordan' show that there has been interest in the 26-year-old from both Spurs and Arsenal, he said:

"Tottenham were keen to bring this player to north London in the last transfer window, and Arsenal are also monitoring his situation closely.

"They will both be encouraged by what we’re hearing over in Germany that he’s turned down a new contract at RB Leipzig, so he’s clearly someone who is looking for pastures new."

Sky (via Fussball Transfers) have claimed that the Leipzig skipper has rejected talks over a new deal, meaning if he doesn't leave this window, he could well depart in the summer due to him entering the final 18 months of his current €110k-per-week (£98k-per-week) contract.

The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare believes Sabitzer could be available for only £30m, which would be well in Daniel Levy's budget.

And he'd be quite the addition...

On the Chalkboard

As we've been told by The Times' Duncan Castles before, Jose Mourinho is after a box-to-box midfielder to help steer Spurs to their first piece of silverware in over 12 years, and that's where Sabitzer fits the bill.

Since the start of the 2019/20 season, the 46-time Austria international has delivered 19 goals and 14 assists across all competitions - in the same timeframe, Spurs' current options namely Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele haven't even passed 13 goal contributions.

[snack-amp-story url="https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/20-01-spurs-stories" title="Latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!"]

But it is Moussa Sissoko who could be most in danger as the defensively-astute Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has cemented his place down as the anchorman of this side, whilst the aforementioned Frenchman and Argentinan are likely to rotate as no.10s, especially if Dele Alli moves on.

The £30m ace, signed by Mauricio Pochettino in 2016, has been nothing more than a mere passenger at times this season - neither outstanding nor hugely disappointing.

That much is seen by his mediocre returns as Spurs' 12th ranked player per WhoScored ratings - indeed, he's tied with the attack-minded Ndombele for tackles per game (1.4) and has only averaged 0.1 key passes and 0.1 shots per game, the worst of any midfielder at the club.

Even Hojbjerg is doing more going forward, which speaks volumes and clearly doesn't match up with Mourinho's desire for a box-to-box maestro.

Which is where Sabitzer comes in, meaning the 30-year-old could finally be axed from the starting XI, should Levy be able to push through this deal.

Aside from his impressive goal and assist returns mentioned above, the Leipzig star has averaged 1.55 tackles per game across both the Bundesliga and Champions League, showing that defensive side of his game.

But he also has proven to be a lethal creative outlet, as he's managed 1.65 shots and 0.8 key passes per game across the same competitions, which is evidently a stark upgrade to that of Sissoko.

It's no wonder the Austrian sensation has been lauded a "goal threat" by Red Bulls boss Julian Naglesmann, as well as his predecessor Ralf Rangnick calling his personality "remarkable."

Valued at €40m (£36m) by CIES Football Observatory, Sabitzer would be one hell of an addition to bolster Spurs' trophy hopes - a far better option to the starting XI than Sissoko.

Not to mention that he wants the move too, as per Ekrem Konur.

AND in other news, Spurs must strike on £18m-rated "monster" amid fresh transfer development