Ange Postecoglou may be forced to make his first difficult choice as Tottenham manager.
Tottenham Hotspur‘s summer transfer window exploded towards the end of June, with two deals adding to their permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski.
After securing a new goalkeeper, they would bolster this £17.2m deal for Guglielmo Vicario by offloading another £40m to entice James Maddison away from Leicester City.
Two of the Lilywhites‘ biggest problems were remedied in a matter of days, as they added some much-needed goals to their engine room and acquired a potential successor to Hugo Lloris.
However, The Athletic claimed only yesterday that Ange Postecoglou is now open to the possibility of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leaving north London, kicking off a completely new narrative for this window.
Despite impressing since joining from Southampton in 2020, the combative general may now be seen too sluggish for the all-action model that the Australian will aim to impose. As a result, he may be the revolution’s first victim.
Having been linked with Inter‘s £50m-rated Nicolo Barella back in mid-June, they might try to rekindle that interest again and add to their already strong contingent of Serie A players.
Will Tottenham Hotspur lose Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?
Many may dispute this transfer swap if it occurs, considering that there isn’t a vast differential in quality that implies they would be making a significant improvement.
However, it is more about play style than sheer skill, which Hojbjerg possesses in plenty.
Despite a difficult season for the team, the 27-year-old averaged a 7.11 rating in the league last season, helped by nine goal contributions, an 89% pass accuracy, 0.9 critical passes, and 1.6 tackles per game, according to Sofascore.
However, his average speed has frequently let him down in vital places, putting the midfield at risk of being overrun. Postecoglou’s new mentality will simply not allow that to happen.
He would acquire a tenacious runner in the engine room in Barella, who would keep the offensive drive but add some bite and pace. Given that the strategist frequently employs two No. 8s in his midfield, the added inventiveness that this option provides, along with his unrelenting energy, might edge him out.
In all honesty, his stats aren’t that dissimilar to the man he’d be replacing. His average rating in Serie A last season was 7.08, with 12 goal contributions, an 85% pass accuracy, and 1.4 tackles per game. According to Sofascore, it is his goal-scoring numbers combined with his 1.6 critical passes per game that genuinely distinguish him from his possible rival.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig attempted to highlight the Italy international’s pace and work rate, assisted by his small body, when he dubbed him a “little warrior” back in 2019.
Perhaps he can now bring that battle-hardened mindset to north London, adding to Postecoglou’s ever-growing list of outstanding summer signings primed to make a significant impression.
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