Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ‘favourite’ to trump Arsenal in the race to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, as per Football Insider.
The Lilywhites currently have Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher, and João Palhinha as options to deploy in the engine room.
Therefore, on paper, Thomas Frank has a deep midfield department. However, Bergvall and Bentancur have sustained serious injuries; as a result, they have been ruled out for several months.
On the other hand, Palhinha has joined on a loan deal from Bayern Munich, and Spurs might not opt to secure his service permanently at the end of this campaign.
Bissouma, meanwhile, struggled with fitness problems during the first half of this season but has started playing regularly in recent times since returning from AFCON.
Now, Football Insider state that Tottenham are considering signing a new midfielder in the summer and have earmarked Goretzka as a serious option.
However, Arsenal are in this race as well. Initially, they attempted to sign the German in the recently concluded winter window following Mikel Merino’s serious injury.
Battle
But the player eventually decided to stay at the Allianz Arena, and Arsenal are now keeping a close eye on his situation before making a potential summer swoop, with the player set to become available for free at the end of this season.
The report state that although Arsenal are interested in the German international, Tottenham are currently the ‘favourite’ to secure his services.
Goretzka likes to be deployed in the double midfield pivot position but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. Furthermore, he can provide cover in the CAM position if needed.
He is an energetic player and has showcased his qualities for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team over the years.
The 31-year-old, standing at 6ft 2in tall, is technically sound, has an eye for long-range passing, can chip in with some important goals, and is efficient in defensive contributions.
Therefore, the midfielder would be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal or Tottenham should either club purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Lilywhites eventually manage to sign him by defeating the Gunners in this race.
