Pep Guardiola is set to rival long-time foe Jose Mourinho in the summer transfer market with Manchester City ready to go toe-to-toe with Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, according to the Daily Record.
Hojbjerg is believed to have been identified by Daniel Levy as the north London side’s priority target for the upcoming window, as the 24-year-old has been made available for a transfer after entering the final year of his contract and having expressed a desire to move on from his south coast side.
Funds are expected to be tight for Tottenham this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen Hojbjerg’s availability become ever-more appealing as he would represent a low-cost option.
Levy had been confident that Spurs would stand out as a more appealing option for Hojbjerg than fellow interested party Ajax if he were to leave Southampton this year, however the emerging interest from Manchester City has sprung serious concern.
Manchester City are thought to see Hojbjerg as someone who can arrive at the Etihad Stadium at the close of the campaign to help Guardiola restructure his side following Liverpool’s dominating Premier League title success, and help ease the loss of David Silva with the Spaniard leaving in the summer.
Would you sign Hojbjerg this summer?
Yes
No
Hojbjerg is keen to play at a higher level than he has been at St. Mary’s since joining the Saints from Bayern Munich in 2016, where Hojbjerg enjoyed his graduation from the Bavarian giant’s academy under Guardiola immediately following the Catalan manager’s arrival.
The Denmark international made a total of 23 competitive outings under Guardiola before the former FC Barcelona head coach moved on, whilst Hojbjerg went on to join Southampton for £12.8million in 2016 and has amassed 132 outings for the club to date across all competitions.
Of Hojbjerg’s appearances for Southampton, the 33-cap ace has featured in 31 Premier League games this term to match his total amount achieved during the 2018/19 season, which saw the midfielder boast four goals and four assists. He is yet to find the net this term, however, and only has the one assist to his name heading into Monday’s trip to Manchester United.