Christoph Baumgartner is putting together another very solid season, attracting a few high-profile suitors for the summer, including Milan and Inter. Both might add some creativity to their midfields, Fussball Daten reports.
The 26-year-old can star either as a no.10 and as an aggressive box-to-box, but could also turn into a deep-lying playmaker with some work. He has registered 12 goals and 7 assists in 25 matches across all competitions this campaign. He joined his current side for €25M two and a half years after a solid run at Hoffenheim. The playmaker has 56 caps and 19 goals with Austria under his belt.
Inter and Milan would have to compete with Brighton, Tottenham, and Aston Villa if they were really interested in acquiring Baumgartner in the summer. RB Leipzig are no strangers to turning in a profit on their linchpins. However, considering how much they spent on him, the offers would have to clear the €35M threshold.
The Nerazzurri have been rumored to buy back Aleksandar Stankovic if they needed a new piece at the position. Instead, their cousins are waiting for Luka Modric’s callcall and are in talks to prolong the contract of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. They might stand pat if they both stayed.
Our Take on Baumgartner, Inter, and Milan
He’d be a nice versatile cog for a few sides, but, given his prowess in the final third, it’d be a stretch to consider him for more defensive-minded roles. The Serie A leaders have been thinking about adding a trequartista for a few windows, but never actually pulled the trigger. Plus, he might be too pricey relative to his age for the league’s habits.
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