TOTTENHAM are willing to let Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg depart the club this winter – providing two key conditions are met. Firstly, Spurs desire a credible fee having previously requested in excess of £35million for the out-of-favour Dane, while they also want a replacement through the door first.
That’s because Ange Postecoglou is due to lose both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr to the Africa Cup of Nations in January meaning his midfield options will be seriously depleted.
The Mali and Senegal internationals will miss a minimum of two Premier League matches – while they could miss up to four if their respective nations go the distance.
It means Hojbjerg will technically move up the pecking order, although Rodrigo Bentancur is also stepping up his fitness ahead of his long-awaited return from knee surgery.
Atletico Madrid and Fulham both made moves for Hojbjerg on deadline day but neither club was able to agree a transfer.
The Denmark international was thought to be keen on joining Atletico Madrid but they did not match Spurs’ asking price. Meanwhile, Fulham were of little interest to the former Southampton skipper.
Juventus are firm admirers of Hojbjerg and are expected to test the waters this January due to Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli’s respective bans.
Hojbjerg wants to play regularly ahead of Euro 2024 and for that reason, he will consider any offers that land on the table this winter.
He has recently split with super-agent Pini Zahavi, however, meaning he will assign new agents to resolve his future.
- Advert-free experience without interruptions.
- Rocket-fast speedy loading pages.
- Exclusive & Unlimited access to all our content.
Despite his lack of playing time – Hojbjerg insists he has maintained a strong professional relationship with Spurs boss Postecoglou throughout their time working together to date.
“There has been good dialogue throughout and there has been great respect for both parties,” Hojbjerg told Danish outlet Bold during the international break.
“Right now I am not among the starting XI. It is what it is. I will try to show my best side if the coach points to me.”
Hojbjerg joined Spurs for an initial £15m in 2020 and his current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2025.
He has featured in all but one of Spurs’ eight Premier League matches so far this season although he is yet to start in the top-flight – something that could change on Monday against Fulham due to Bissouma’s suspension.
Notably, Tottenham would be due to pay Southampton an extra £2m in bonuses for the 28-year-old if they were to secure Champions League qualification this season.
In terms of sourcing a replacement, Spurs tried to pursue a late deal for Conor Gallagher in the summer transfer window but their advances were quickly shot down by rivals Chelsea.
Gallagher is now expected to hold formal talks with the Blues over a contract extension and he intends to remain at Stamford Bridge after recently donning the captain’s armband.
Source: Read Full Article
