The Bundesliga has long been a very strong source of talent that Premier League clubs have looked to exploit. According to recent reports, Florian Grillitsch could be the next player to make the move between the two leagues with Leeds United the latest team to be linked with his signature.
Although, as always, it won’t be an easy deal for the Whites to complete as he is understood to be on the radar of several other clubs around Europe. The Austria international will be out of contract in the summer if he opts against extending his deal at Hoffenheim which has piqued the interest of plenty of European scouts.
The Daily Mail report that suggested Leeds were pursuing Grillitsch did claim that his potential arrival would come as part of a contingency plan to replace Kalvin Phillips. However, with the lack of senior midfield options available to Jesse Marsch at the moment, that wouldn’t necessarily be the case as he could come in as a partner for Phillips.
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We have taken a look at what kind of player Grillitsch is, how we would fit in at Elland Road and some of the things that have been said about him.
What has Grillitsch done so far?
Despite being a regular starter in the Bundesliga and at international level, the 26-year-old is hardly a household name amongst football fans outside of the DACH region. He started his senior career in Germany with Werder Bremen where he made over 50 appearances before moving to Hoffenheim.
After impressing in the early weeks and months at his new club, Grillitsch was handed his first taste of international action, playing the second half in Austria’s 1-1 draw with Finland. He has earned a further 32 caps for his nation since then whilst stepping up as arguably the most influential member of Hoffenheim’s squad.
In the almost five seasons he has spent at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena, he has made 130 league appearances, highlighting his importance to the club. As a more defensive-minded midfielder, his influence in the attacking third is minimal with just three goals and 11 assists in those 130 matches.
His performances in the German top flight have attracted plenty of interest from elsewhere around Europe with a few of Italy’s elite sides being linked with a move previously. Currently, Arsenal and Newcastle are said to be monitoring his situation as he moves into the final weeks of his contract.
Why would Leeds want Grillitsch?
As mentioned previously, there is very little cover in midfield at Elland Road as has been abundantly clear in the absence of Phillips this season. Adam Forshaw has been able to step in and impress despite a long injury lay-off of his own but there has far too often been a lack of genuine quality in that area of the pitch.
A lot of Grillitsch’s playing style resembles that of Phillips but at 6’2”, he is more of an imposing midfielder with aerial presence and longer levers. He is largely a ball-winning midfielder who possesses real quality on the ball which is often used to craft attacks from just in front of the defence.
If he was to be signed, and Phillips was to stay, Marsch would likely opt to use the pair in front of the Leeds defence in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. It would provide the attacking midfielder – which has often been Rodrigo this season – with more freedom to focus on the offensive side of the game.
Grillitsch’s versatility will have also impressed those in charge of recruitment in West Yorkshire as he has often been deployed as a central defender at Hoffenheim. In that regard, he is similar to former Bundesliga man Robin Koch but with more of a specialism playing in the middle of the pitch.
What has been said about Grillitsch?
Grillitsch has caught the eye of many an admirer in the Bundesliga in recent years yet somehow he has gone under the radar elsewhere. Earlier this season, Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann branded him one of the best players in the division.
After praising his ability to dictate the tempo of a game, he said: "In my opinion, Flo Grillitsch is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, and it's a bit under the radar. At least you rarely read anything about him."
Didier Hamann, who knows exactly what it is like to play in both the Bundesliga and the Premier League, echoed Nagelsmann’s thoughts a few months ago when asked about Grillitsch’s potential move to Newcastle at the time. "I think he's a very good technical player, the only question marks over him would be if he could cope with the physicality of the Premier League,” he told TribalFootball.com, on behalf of FreeSuperTips.
"It is a different game and it's something that he still needs to work on, but he's a brilliant player. Technically he's very gifted, so if he played in the right system, he could definitely help.”
