Tottenham insider John Wenham has been shocked by reports linking Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with a potential exit from N17, but he has reassured Spurs fans that selling the midfielder in the summer would not be a priority for the club.
The Lowdown: Potential exit for Hojbjerg?
On Monday, Football Insider revealed a claim from a recruitment source that AS Roma are planning on making a move for the 26-year-old in the summer transfer window, as long as Jose Mourinho is still in charge of the Serie A club.
The former Tottenham boss was very complimentary of the Denmark international during his time in north London. In December 2020, he claimed that Hojbjerg is “a phenomenal player” and that his “simplicity is genius”.
As a result, Mourinho planned on signing him when he initially joined Roma, but any such deal failed to materialise.
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The Latest: Wenham on Hojbjerg’s future
Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham has insisted that there are a number of players who Spurs should look to sell before parting ways with Hojbjerg.
The club insider stated: “Personally, I wouldn’t want Tottenham to sell Hojbjerg.
“He was only £15million, he’s proven absolute value for money in terms of the number of games he’s played. Along with Bentancur and Skipp, they are three really good midfield options for us.
“Hojbjerg is an in-game leader and has been hailed as such by the managers he has played under. He gets on well with everyone inside the club, everyone loves him and I imagine he is on relatively low money after joining from Southampton.
“I mean, surely not. There are so many reasons to keep him and so many people who I would get rid of first. I don’t see the sale of Hojbjerg as a priority for Tottenham at all.”
The Verdict: Relief for Spurs fans
Tottenham supporters may be breathing a sigh of relief reading Wenham’s thoughts, as he is an insider at the club.
Hojbjerg has played an important part in Spurs’ fortunes since arriving from Southampton. When compared to players in the same position, over the past year the Dane has ranked in the 84th percentile for passes attempted and in the 86th percentile for his pass completion rate (via FB Ref).
In addition to his passing ability, the 26-year-old also adds defensive steel to the midfield. In the Premier League this season, he has averaged 2.1 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game, placing him in the top four among Antonio Conte’s squad for both metrics (via WhoScored).
Therefore, it is clear that Spurs would be silly to let their midfield maestro leave on the cheap, and it’s easy to see why Wenham does not want to see the Danish colossus leaving any time soon.
In other news: Spurs were met with an injury scare after the weekend’s Man City clash