Manchester United are working on a loan deal to bring Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer to the club ahead of the transfer deadline.
The Manchester Evening News understands the Old Trafford hierarchy have identified Sabitzer as a suitable replacement for Christian Eriksen, with the Danish playmaker facing a significant spell on the sidelines after he left Old Trafford on crutches following Saturday's FA Cup triumph over Reading.
United confirmed in a statement today (Tuesday): "While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that Eriksen is likely to be out until late April or early May.
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"Eriksen’s absence will be a big disappointment to manager Erik ten Hag and fans given the consistency of his performances throughout the season so far. However, there is hope that Christian can return in time to play a role in the final stages of the season."
Whilst United are working against tonight's 11pm deadline to complete a deal, sources have previously told MEN that United have tools to "push a button" and provide a list of options to sign for a position.
It is thought the club are optimistic that a deal can be struck with the Bavarian giants prior to the window. With that in mind, Manchester Evening News have cast an eye over Sabitzer's career to find out just what United and can come to expect from the 28-year-old.
Early career
Born in the Upper Austrian city of Wels and fathered by former Austria international Herfried, Sabitzer's youth career spanned across four Austrian clubs before breaking through the ranks at Admira Wacker Modling.
Having made his debut for the club as a 16-year-old in 2010, he scored two goals in eight appearances as promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga was achieved.
His talent became clear for all to see as Sabitzer registered five goals and three assists in his debut top-flight campaign, quickly earning an international debut at the age of 18. Courtesy of his performances, Admira Wacker finished third and secured Europa League football upon promotion.
He was quickly snapped up by Rapid Vienna in January of 2013, where he would continue to take the domestic scene by storm and eventually earn a move to Germany.
Despite signing a four-year contract at the Red Bull Arena, Sabitzer instantly returned to his homeland on loan at Red Bull Salzburg. He would, though, prove just too good for the division as he netted 19 goals and provided 16 assists for the eventual champions.
Bundesliga breakthrough
Whilst we are now accustomed to seeing Leipzig around the Bundesliga's summit, Sabitzer made his debut for the club in the second division and would help them win promotion by just two points under former United interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
The step up, however, would prove no problem for Sabizter and Leipzig alike as he netted eight goals on the way to a second-placed finish and UEFA Champions League qualification in 2017.
He maintained admirable levels of attacking efficiency before proving to be one of Germany's most potent forces across the 2019/2020 campaign, finishing the season with 16 goals and 11 assists across all competitions which included a notable contribution during the club's historic Champions League quarter-final run.
Another impressive season as Leipzig captain followed, convincing Bayern and former boss Julian Nagelsmann to splash out on a reported transfer fee of €16 million (£14m) in 2021 for his signature.
Life at the Allianz Arena has not been straightforward though, with Sabizter restricted to starting just 15 Bundesliga outings during his season-and-a-half at the club. It is likely Bayern will sanction his departure.
On the international stage, Sabitzer currently boasts 68 caps and has since gone on to represent Austria at both Euro 2016 and Euro 2020. He was named 2017 Austrian Footballer of the Year.
What has been said
"I have always said I want more goal threat from midfield. He clearly took that both literally and personally. He's a very important player for us." - Julian Nagelsmann, former RB Leipzig and current Bayern Munich manager.
"He has great shooting technique. I've no idea where he gets it from, but he's always got it ready to go. Today it was really important because it was the winning goal, and an unbelievably good one at that. I'm happy for him." - RB Leipzig captain Willi Orban after Sabitzer's free-kick vs Zenit
"Marcel is a player who gives everything for 90 minutes, does a lot for the team and works a lot defensively. He runs a lot, has some good technical moments, and is now scoring goals." - Franco Foda, former Austria manager
Outcome
Sabitzer is a midfielder immensely capable of contributing in the attacking third, consistently providing goals and assists throughout his career. Like Eriksen, he also provides great value from set-pieces, particularly free-kicks.
He is extremely versatile, too, having operated in a multitude of roles, including attacking midfielder, second striker, winger and deep-lying midfielder.
January can be a notoriously difficult time to strengthen squads but it appears United could just bag themselves a savvy deal in Sabitzer despite losing a key figure in Eriksen.
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