Any player who plays for a long time in one of Europe’s big leagues should retire as a wealthy man, but does that mean they will be satisfied when they look back on their career?
The vast majority of players will go through their entire career without winning a major trophy, so it’s always good to see someone show the ambition to actually win things instead of going for the money.
That appears to be the case with RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer, with a recent report from Bulinews confirming that he continues to be linked with a move to Spurs in the summer.
They look at some of his quotes in a recent interview with Bild, and these comments do make the move to Spurs seem unlikely at this present moment:
“I don’t know what Julian has in mind. And I have to say: I have a contract until 2022, and not just until the summer. It has become popular to ask players about his future as soon as he enters the final 18 months of his contract. But that doesn’t mean that everything has to be decided at that moment.
“Those in my inner circle know what I’m thinking. But I’m not stressed about it. I feel good in Leipzig and at the club, plus we’re successful.
“We have a realistic chance of winning titles here, and there are people at the club who really want to win something. That’s why I see Leipzig as a great club. But RB don’t have to be the only great club on my CV. After all, I’m only 26.
“Salary is not my main focus right now. I’m doing well enough, I don’t have to worry about it every day. I don’t play football to build a money bin after my career. I play for success. I’ve always been a winner, and I want to win trophies.”
The biggest problem for Spurs winning the title just now is the gap between Man City and the rest of the league is huge, while they also appear to be going backwards under Jose Mourinho.
It would be a huge task for Mourinho or a new manager to close that gap over the next few seasons and it could require several new signings, so these comments from Sabitzer do appear to rule out a transfer happening this summer.