Juventus interested in Tottenham man Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg amid midfield shortage – report
Juventus are reportedly interested in signing Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as they seek a replacement for banned players Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, according to The Telegraph.
The newspaper reported online (7 November) that the Serie A outfit sent their sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and his assistant to watch Hojbjerg in action against Chelsea.
This scouting mission comes as the club considers making a potential swoop for the Denmark international during the January transfer window.
Hojbjerg is yet to start a Premier League game under Ange Postecoglou but could be leaned on more heavily in the coming weeks after Spurs were hit by a series of injuries and suspensions during the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.
Ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Tottenham News:
“I think there was potential that Hojbjerg could have left until the game against Chelsea. But now you have got to look at how long Micky van de Ven is going to be out for, what the manager wants to do and who he wants to play there.
“Hojbjerg hasn’t started games, but he has come on in most games and the manager has used him, he is an integral part of the squad.
“The squad is not huge and if Hojbjerg was to leave they would have to replace him. Could he play as a centre-back? Yes, he could, he is versatile and there is never a problem with him in the dressing room, he doesn’t seem to be a player who is actively seeking a move.
“If Juventus come knocking, there is obviously a good relationship because Fabio Paratici is still part of the club somewhere, not in an official capacity but in an advisory role, and with the transfer of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, the relationship is clearly there. So if it is Juventus, the likelihood of a move is higher.
“I would like to see him kept as he is an integral part of the squad, but keeping him and the player wanting to stay are two different things. He is a player who will want to be playing every week because that is what he is used to, and if he has the option to play every week at Juventus then keeping him might be a hard sell.”
In other Tottenham news, the club’s Under-21s face a nervous wait after their loss to Cambridge United.