Tottenham interested in 24-year-old Southampton star – Would this be a good move by Mourinho?

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Rohan Sengupta

Why Tottenham must make a move for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer

According to Football Insider (h/t The Daily Star), Tottenham are interested in signing Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 24, joined Southampton from Bayern Munich in 2016 on a five-year contract and has gone onto make 103 Premier League appearances so far, scoring four goals. He has been a regular fixture for the Saints under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, making 27 appearances so far and impressing with his displays in the middle of the park.

Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace tackles with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Southampton during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Southampton FC at Selhurst Park on January 21, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Getty Images)
Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace tackles with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Southampton during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Southampton FC at Selhurst Park on January 21, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Getty Images)

The Dane has a contract with Southampton until the summer of 2021, however, the report (h/t The Daily Star) claims that Hojbjerg doesn’t want to extend his stay at the sea coast club beyond next summer.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s hopes of a fifth consecutive season of Champions League football were further dented on Sunday as Wolves defeated them 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The defeat has left Spurs in seventh place, above Sheffield United only on goal difference.

Despite dropping Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen to the bench, Jose Mourinho stuck with a five-man defence, but individual errors — notably from Serge Aurier, Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga — cost the Portuguese’s side again. This was another case of Spurs’ struggles at the back this season and Mourinho must prioritise adding reinforcements to the defence this summer.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Getty Images)
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg applauds the fans. (Getty Images)

In addition to signing a central defender to compete with the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga, Tottenham must recruit a defensive midfielder as well. Eric Dier’s form has dipped massively over the last 15-18 months, while Tanguy Ndombele has endured an injury-hit debut season in north London.

Harry Winks has been a consistent performer in the midfield under Mourinho but he has lacked a reliable player beside him, with Moussa Sissoko out with a serious knee problem and is expected to return next month. That being said, Spurs must do everything possible to recruit Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton in the summer.

Hojbjerg has been a consistent performer for Southampton over the last two seasons. He has made over 100 appearances across all competitions for the sea coast club, with the defensive midfielder currently the skipper of Hasenhuttl’s side. Plus, he has earned 26 caps for Denmark so far, scoring three goals.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho celebrates with his players. (Getty Images)
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho celebrates with his players. (Getty Images)

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The 24-year-old is a proven Premier League material and would undoubtedly bolster Tottenham’s midfield options, whilst adding depth to the squad. As Spurs have Dier as the only pure defensive midfielder in the squad, Hojbjerg’s addition would strengthen that department for Mourinho next season.

Verdict

Having proven himself for Southampton over the last couple of years, Tottenham must not hesitate to sign Hojbjerg ahead of 2020/21 campaign.