Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Mabbutt has claimed Jose Mourinho signing, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been one of the club’s best transfers in recent memory.
The 25-year-old Danish midfielder arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer from Southampton for £15m (Sky Sports) and has since gone on to be an integral part of Mourinho’s plans.
Hojbjerg hasn’t missed a minute of Premier League football for Spurs this season, keeping the likes of previous first-team mainstays Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko on the periphery.
It’s the omission of Winks, in particular, that has caught Mabbutt’s attention after the lack of game time saw the 10-cap England man overlooked in Gareth Southgate’s most recent squad selection.
The 59-year-old has this week told Football FanCast that Hojbjerg’s form has deservedly kept Winks out of contention:
“I think Harry’s an excellent player. I think he’s an excellent character as well. I think there’s a lot of competition. In that area, you’re talking about Pierre who’s done so well for Spurs this season.
“I think he has been one of our best signings for a long time. You can see what he’s doing and what he’s bringing to the side, and he’s exactly what the side needed.”
Mabbutt added: “But Pierre has got strong competition from the likes of Harry Winks. Oliver Skipp will return from Norwich, where he’s having an exceedingly good season.
“I’m sure he’s wanting to help them to get promotion back to the Premier League. Sissoko, so there’s a lot of competition.
“You’re talking about maybe one or two places and you’ve got three or four players who are top players fighting for that place. That’s what you want as a manager.”
Has Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg been a success?
Yes
No
Hojbjerg has added additional steel to a Tottenham midfield often lacking in combativity, and with an ever-increasing market value at £31.5m (as per Transfermarkt), Spurs look to have landed a shrewd deal.
Far from the finished article this season, Mourinho has certainly attempted to bolster the ranks in his short time at the helm and will hope to have the opportunity to do so again this summer.