Nürnberg's hotshot forward interesting Arsenal and Dortmund...
The 60-second story
Signed last summer from FC Zurich, the club he joined aged nine, Drmic has been Nürnberg's bright spark in an otherwise troubled campaign for the Bundesliga drop-dodgers. After finding the net 13 times in 31 Swiss Super League games last season, and notching a total of 19 goals in 39 games, Drmic has continued to find the net with regularity in Germany's top flight.
The Swiss hitman has already scored 12 times in 24 appearances in his debut season, as he helps Der Club [Great nickname - Ed.] beat the dreaded drop. Nürnberg were four points from safety and winless after their opening 17 league matches - 11 of which were draws - but Drmic struck twice in a 4-0 triumph over Hoffenheim to trigger an upturn in the Bavarians' form after the winter break.
FACT FILE
Date of birth: August 8, 1992
Place of birth: Lachen, Switzerland
Height: 6ft 0in
Position: Forward
Club: Nürnberg 24 apps (21 starts); 12 goals
Country: Switzerland 5 apps (2 starts); 2 goals
Why you need to know him
The 21-year-old has reportedly caught the eye of Arsene Wenger and, despite being relatively unknown to most, could turn out to be the strike competition Olivier Giroud needs. In his most recent international outing against Croatia, he earned his fifth cap and netted a well-taken brace. If Drmic can continue to impress against the Bundesliga's big guns and carry his goalscoring form into the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, the young striker's name may well be printed on a Premier League shirt very soon.
Strengths
Quick, agile and clinical, he's reliable in front of goal, while his pace and clever runs often cause havoc for opposition defences. Whether deployed as either a lone striker or as part of a pairing, Drmic has show good positional sense and remains calm and composed when bearing down on goal.
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Weaknesses
Despite his ability to play as a lone front man, Nürnberg's leading scorer lacks a physical presence and works better when paired with a strong hold-up partner. The young forward is also inexperienced and, despite his undoubted talent, many feel a few more seasons at Nürnberg, providing they stay up, will be more beneficial than a move to a bigger club like potential suitors Arsenal or Borussia Dortmund.
They said...
Former Nürnberg midfielder Marek Mintal – the 2004/05 Bundesliga top goalscorer – said: "If he manages to maintain his form until the World Cup, I fear it's bad news for all the teams Switzerland face." Meanwhile his coach at Der Club, Gertjan Verbeek, added: "If Josip continues as he's performing at the moment, I'm certain he will win the [Bundesliga's] Golden Boot one day". It's hard to argue with.
Did you know?
Drmic was part of Switzerland's Olympic squad for the London 2012 Games and played a combined 50 minutes in their defeats to Mexico and South Korea.
What happens next?
Dortmund are keen to replace Bayern Munich-bound Robert Lewandowski with a Bundesliga-friendly forward, while Wenger is likely to enhance Arsenal's striking options, so a move may well be on the cards. But if Drmic can fire Nürnberg to safety, staying put to gain more experience seems the most logical decision. With a World Cup on the horizon, it's doubtless his biggest summer yet.
