View: Hojbjerg is yesterday’s man and Tottenham have galloped on without him
There was a time when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was the most influential midfielder at Tottenham but a new development has exacerbated the possibility of a January exit.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano posted on his personal Twitter account (25 September) to reveal the Denmark midfielder has ended his contract with agent Pini Zahavi and is now assessing his options in the winter transfer window after he failed to secure a summer move.
Hojbjerg was heavily linked with a move to LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid throughout the last window (Daily Mail, 20 July), while Manchester United (Sky Sports News, 29 August) and Fulham were also reportedly interested.
With a wealth of midfield options available to him, there is a feeling Ange Postecoglou will be more than happy to see him out of the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The former Bayern Munich man told Danish outlet Bold (6 September) that he had an honest conversation with Ange Postecoglou about his role for the new campaign and insisted that he is ready to give his all whenever opportunities come his way.
The issue is, opportunities have not been too forthcoming and Hojbjerg is yet to start a game in the Premier League so far this season, though he has come on a substitute in five of Spurs’ six matches.
Circumstances are, of course, playing a part. The rejuvenated Yves Bissouma has the energy, drive and intelligence to suit Postecoglou’s high-press style, while Pape Matar Sarr is also far more dynamic.
Previously, Hojbjerg had been a vital cog in the Tottenham machine and he was a trusted lieutenant for both Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.
But both of those managers, who have been so successful elsewhere in their careers, favour a more pragmatic approach from their midfielders than the creative, progressive, and dynamic players Postecoglou likes to drive his teams forward with passes between the lines and progressive running.
The signing of James Maddison has naturally been influential in employing this style, and he has formed an extremely successful triumvirate with Bissouma and Sarr thus far, with Spurs unbeaten in six Premier League matches.
It is not even necessarily the case that Hojbjerg cannot play how his manager wants him to. He ranks in the 81st percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top-five leagues for progressive passes per 90 minutes, 80th percentile for passes into the final third, 89th percentile for live-ball passes, and 71st percentile for goal-creating actions [FBRef].
In the above example, though, Hojbjerg takes the easy option back to Micky van de Ven, slowing the play down, rather than trying to beat Bukayo Saka to Pedro Porro to get another attacker going – something Postecoglou most likely didn’t enjoy.
Hojbjerg has qualities to offer this team and his composure and ability to set a tempo have served him well previously at Tottenham.
But Postecoglou is clearly trying to usher in a philosophy that can drive Spurs to new heights under his management, and Bissouma, Sarr and Maddison are proving they can be the leaders of this new school of thought at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
England international Maddison has two goals and four assists in six Premier League matches, with those six direct goal involvements bettered only by Mohamed Salah (seven) and Erling Haaland (nine) in England’s top flight.
According to FBref, Maddison ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90 minutes (0.44) from clubs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.
Meanwhile, Maddison’s 60 progressive passes in the Premier League this season – completed passes that move the ball at least 10 yards towards the opposition’s goal – is bettered only by Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez (69) in the entire division – as seen in the below example.
Maddison’s influence to Tottenham was evidenced by the fact their threat was significantly reduced when he was brought off for Hojbjerg in Sunday’s (September 24) 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
With Rodrigo Bentancur weeks away from a return to the first team under Postecoglou and the likes of Oliver Skipp also on the books, it is hard to see Hojbjerg getting much game time at all under Postecoglou.
It is unfortunate that Hojbjerg’s Spurs career is winding down in this way, but Postecoglou clearly does not foresee a prominent role for him. A move in January is probably the best for all parties.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs reached an agreement with Grasshopper Club Zurich for the permanent sale of one talented academy product.