WHY HOJBJERG HOLDS KEY TO UNLOCKING TALENT IN NDOMBELE PROFILE OF SPURS’ INCOMING STAR
PIERRE-EMILE HOJBJERG, who is set to join Tottenham from Southampton, has spent the last eight months on a personal PR mission.
In a slew of interviews, Hojbjerg has talked up his potential and leadership qualities, emphasising a desire to move to another level where he can challenge for the Premier League and Champions League.
Hojbjerg’s ambitions are expected to be realised in a £15million move to north London, with Spurs full-back Kyle Walker-Peters going the other way for around £12m.
The Dane’s refusal to sign a new deal at St Mary’s saw him stripped of the club captaincy and later dropped, but Spurs are signing a player whose commitment and work rate on the pitch are difficult to question.
Hojbjerg is, however, yet to live up to the expectations of Pep Guardiola, who felt the then 17-year-old could be the “Sergio Busquets of Bayern Munich” during his time in charge of the club.
Part of Hojbjerg’s early appeal was his character, and he showed bravery at 20 to take a step down to Saints after failing to establish himself at Bayern.
At St Mary’s, his conviction and confidence were quickly recognised. Hojbjerg was often the player to face the media after defeats and his interviews revealed the mindset and vision of a future manager, someone with a clear understanding of the game and how he likes to see it played.
It is a side that will appeal to the tactically-astute Jose Mourinho and was recognised when Hojbjerg was made Southampton captain at just 23. With an analytical mind, a fierce work ethic and conformist approach, he ticks most of the boxes of a stereotypical Mourinho soldier — although he is not an out-andout defensive presence, having excelled in a box-to-box role at Southampton.
Nonetheless, his defensive contributions have been impressive this season; he made 80 tackles, the seventh highest for a midfielder in the top flight, despite featuring in just 33 League games. He was also in the top-15 midfield players for completed passes and interceptions.
At Spurs, he will be tasked primarily with providing a platform for other more adventurous and creative players, while helping Mourinho’s side establish greater control of possession.
The start of the decline in Tottenham’s domestic form under Mauricio Pochettino can be unerringly traced back to the departure of Mousa Dembele in January 2019, while the sale of Victor Wanyama in February and Eric Dier’s move to centre-half have further stripped Mourinho of options at holding midfield.
Hojbjerg, therefore, feels like a missing piece, and the hope is that his positional sense, discipline and ability to keep the ball moving will unleash Giovani Lo Celso, Moussa Sissoko, Harry
Winks, Dele Alli and, potentially, club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who Spurs insist is not for sale.
In leaving Saints, Hojbjerg is confident he can make a name for himself in the same way as Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic but he has not left as big an impression at St Mary’s as some of the club’s other recent sales, and there has been an element of frustration about his outspokenness.
Hojbjerg believes he belongs on the biggest stage and his challenge at Spurs is to put his money where his mouth is by fulfilling his early promise at a leading club.