Tottenham Hotspur are set to announce Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as their first signing of the summer transfer window. The Denmark international, who was in the final year of his contract at Southampton, is believed to cost Spurs around £15 million.
Following Mousa Dembele’s move to China, Spurs have never really signed a replacement for the Belgian. While Harry Winks, Eric Dier, Oliver Skipp, Moussa Sissoko have all been used in the position, none have found the success of the now-Guanzhou star. With Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg set to join Spurs, though, Mourinho can now finally get his wish of adding new central midfielders.
Why Tottenham Hotspur are Bringing in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Established Premier League Player
Hojbjerg is an established Premier League midfielder. The Danish international arrived at St Mary’s in 2016 and since has been a mainstay in the Saints midfield. Ralph Hassenhuttl, who identified the 25-year old’s importance in the team, appointed him as the captain last year. In four seasons, the midfielder has made over 100 appearances and captained the side for the last one and half-season.
Most times, players moving across Premier League teams have resulted in a win-win situation for both parties involved. Being a veteran of over 100 league games, Hojbjerg should seamlessly integrate himself into life in North London.
Being just 25-years old, Hojbjerg would be a long term investment for Spurs.
Typical Mourinho Signing
A quick look into the past clubs to have employed Jose Mourinho, and one could see the presence of a strong defensive midfielder. Be it Claude Makele at Chelsea or Nemanja Matic in his second spell with the Blues, the Portuguese manager’s team has had a ball-winning midfielder in the heart of his midfield.
Like the two names mentioned above, Hojbjerg is a ball-winning midfielder. Last season, he made 80 tackles with a success rate of 61%. He has also made 326 recoveries and made 46 interceptions in the league last season. Comparing these with Spurs’ existing player reveal just Serge Aurier having better stats than the midfielder.
Apart from his footballing skills, the midfielder has often shown great leadership – a trait Mourinho likes. The 25-year-old was the captain of Southampton until last month. He has often shown up to press conferences during a bad run for the Saints. His work-ethic have also earned plaudits from his former managers.
Mourinho has always built his squad on a strong defensive foundation. With the former Real Madrid boss opting to play Dier in defence, Hojbjerg will likely be his first-choice defensive midfielder.
Replacement for Mousa Dembele
One of the main reasons for the decline of Spurs has been the lack of a proper replacement for Mousa Dembele. The Belgian was a vital cog in Mauricio Pochettino’d side during his reign at the club. Understandably, Spurs started to show signs of decline following the latter’s move to China. While Spurs have had many midfielders, none of them has filled the void left by the Belgian.
Hojbjerg, though, looks more in the mould of the former Spurs midfielder. Like Dembele, Hojbjerg has the ability to break up play and turn them into attacking threats. In fact, In four seasons, the Denmark international has almost similar stats to that of the Belgian midfielder at the same time frame.
Hojbjerg provides a more physical approach while improving his side on the defensive end. Moreover, his natural positioning and ability on the ball had led to similarities with Sergio Busquets in the early part of his career.
Experience of Playing in a Big Team
Not many remember that Hojbjerg is treble-winner with Bayern Munich. The Denmark international was, in fact, the youngest player to play for the Bavarians when he made his debut in 2013. But, with Pep Guardiola at the helm and a star-studded midfield in front of him, Hojbjerg decided to move to Southampton in search of first-team football.
Tottenham Hotspur are one of the biggest and most recognizable clubs in the world. Playing for the bigger teams brings with it added pressure on players. Not every player adjusts with the pressure and delivers in their new surroundings.
Having spent three seasons at Allianz Arena, Hojbjerg should be familiar with playing under pressure.
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