The Dane could leave with Harry Kane. BBC pundit Alan Hutton can’t believe Tottenham Hotspur could also sell midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after some news this week.
Who will leave Spurs?
The most headline-grabbing exit of this summer window, and by some way, is the departure of star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich – with renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano giving his famous “here we go” to the deal.
Tottenham reached an agreement with Bayern to sell their talismanic star for a fee around €100 million (£86m) plus an extra €20 million (£17.2m) in possible add-ons – leaving manager Ange Postecoglou with a gaping hole to fill up front in a worry for the new manager.
Kane had entered the final 12 months of his Spurs deal, giving chairman Daniel Levy and co a major decision to make in regard to his future, as he could have left for nothing next summer.
The 30-year-old joins Harry Winks and Lucas Moura as players out of the door at Tottenham, as the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga, Hugo Lloris and Hojbjerg remain linked with other clubs.
In the last week, there have been reports of the latter closing in on a move to Atletico Madrid, with Hojbjerg apparently set to leave despite being a regular starter under Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Denmark international could very well be next up after Kane if all goes to plan, and BBC pundit Hutton has suggested letting Hojbjerg go would be a mistake.
“I think he has been one of the better players in recent seasons for Tottenham,” said the former Spurs defender to Football Insider.
“There is a lot surrounding him at this moment in time about moving on.
“I think they have got decent depth in the middle of the pitch but Ange [Postecoglou] would maybe look to bring somebody in. I think defensively is more where the problems lie.
“I would like them to keep Hojbjerg and work out the defence. But if the player wants to leave Ange will not stand in his way and hopefully then they can get some money to reinvest into the squad.“
How good is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?
The 28-year-old was a mainstay for Spurs last season. Indeed, only Kane featured over more league minutes than Hojbjerg, with the midfielder also ranking among their best-performers per 90 according to WhoScored.
The former Southampton star chipped in with nine goal contributions from midfield, scoring four goals and assisting five others (WhoScored).
Members of the media called him “sensational” last campaign, while former Tottenham shot-stopper Paul Robinson heaped praise on Hojbjerg for his form at the end of 2022.
“I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year,” said Robinson to Football Insider.
“I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up.
“He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt.”
Alongside Kane, it appears Spurs would also lose a very capable player if a move to Atletico does go through.
