The Austrian midfielder Tottenham are courting to replace Mousa Dembele

 

Florian Grillitsch has been linked with a January switch to the Premier League, but what type of midfielder is the Austrian? 

 

Who is he? 

 

Florian Grillitsch moved to Hoffenheim in 2017, arriving from Bundesliga counterparts Werder Bremen. Bremen signed the 23-year-old from St. Polten back in 2013 and after moving through the ranks for the Bundesliga side, he established himself as a first team regular from 2015 onwards. He penned a deal until 2021 for Hoffenheim upon his arrival at the Wirsol Rhein-Neckar-Arena and, when available, is one of the first names on the team sheet. 

 

He’s had his fair share of injury concerns in the past and it means he has never started more than 23 league matches in a full Bundesliga campaign, but he’s a solid performer in the middle of the park. Grillitsch is a fully fledged Austria international with 13 caps to his name and at 6’2”, the young midfielder is an intimidating character in the middle of the park. 

 

Who is interested and why? 

 

Tottenham are the frontrunners to secure Grillitsch’s services as they aim to bolster their midfield. Spurs aren’t short of midfielder, with Mauricio Pochettino using no fewer than six players in the position this season, but fit options have been hard to come by. Victor Wanyama’s troublesome knee issue has continuously flared up and it’s seen the Kenyan make just four Premier League appearances this season. 

 

Mousa Dembele is out of contract at the end of the season and with the Belgian widely expected to depart this month with a £9m switch to China on the cards, Spurs run the risk of being caught shorter in midfield than they are already. Eric Dier is closing in on a return to fitness, while Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Oliver Skipp have all impressed over the festive period as Spurs remain in the hunt for silverware. 

 

However, Pochettino is keen on adding to his midfield and it’s easy to see why as the club seeks a Dembele replacement. Grillitsch has the attributes required to succeed in the Premier League and impress in this Spurs midfield as returns of 2.8 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per 90 in the Bundesliga this season suggests. Given the rule changes in the Champions League, the Austria international would be eligible to play in the competition for Spurs should the move go through, which is an added bonus. 

 

Key stat 

 

Unsurprisingly, one of Grillitsch’s WhoScored strengths is ‘defensive contribution’ as his aforementioned stats show, but it’s his ball carrying ability that would appeal to Spurs in their pursuit of a Dembele successor. When the Austrian is in possession, he may not look to maximise his dribbling quality all too regularly, averaging just 1.1 successful dribbles per 90, yet he’s incredibly difficult to shake off the ball. 

 

 

Indeed, of the 150 players to attempt more than 10 dribbles, only Thiago Alcantara (94.3%) has a better dribble success rate than Grillitsch (85.7%) in the Bundesliga this season. This is an appealing trait for Tottenham and Pochettino for a midfielder that doesn’t necessarily hit the back of the net with any consistency, but is able to win possession and bring the ball forward with ease. 

 

How much will he cost? 

 

The players Spurs have been linked with as a possible Dembele replacement would cost a vast sum to sign. Geoffrey Kondogbia, for example, has an €80m release clause, which Valencia would demand is paid in full, while even q cheaper alternative in the form of Stanislav Lobotka has a €50m release clause in his contract. 

 

Grillitsch, then, wouldn’t cost heaven and earth to acquire, with it believed he has a £18m release clause in his Hoffenheim deal, according to Sky Sports. In today’s market, that’s a snip and with the £9m offer on the table for Dembele, his departure would cover half of the cost for Grillitsch. He is one of a number of players Spurs have scouted as they prepare for the Belgian’s impending exit and is exactly the under the radar signing that would appeal to the north London side.

The Austrian midfielder Tottenham are courting to replace Mousa Dembele