Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has tipped midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to leave Southampton following the club’s decision to strip the player of his captaincy – with the pundit going on to claim that the ‘writing is on the wall’ and he ‘already knows‘ where he will go.
Tracked closely by both Spurs and Everton, as per this report, Hojbjerg has refused to pen a contract extension on the south coast – resulting in the captaincy role being taken from him.
Would Hojbjerg be a great addition to the squad?
Yes, undoubtedly, sign him up Levy
No, very average
Phillips, who made 457 league starts for nine different clubs over an impressive playing career, scoring 250 goals in that time according to SoccerBase, believes that the Dane already knows his next destination – and given Tottenham’s recent alleged interest, we could be one of the contenders.
The 24-year-old, starting 28 league games for Southampton this season in their bid to avoid the drop, has arguably been a crucial player for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side – making the joint-most tackles in midfield for them this season alongside James Ward-Prowse as per WhoScored.
Indeed, the Denmark international has also made the second-most interceptions behind defender Jan Bednarek – potentially supporting the theory he would add real dynamism to the Spurs midfield under Jose Mourinho.
Described as ‘fantastic’ by ex-Lilywhites striker Darren Bent, the 33-cap stalwart appear to be among the candidates to land his signature – with Phillips delivering his verdict that Hojbjerg already has a destination in mind.
“Losing the captaincy is a sign,” he told Football Insider.
“Hasenhuttl does not mess about down there. He makes decisions and is very strict about it.
“You feel that the writing is on the wall. I think Hojbjerg already knows where he is going – if you read between the lines.
“When you have been stripped of the captaincy, there must have been a conversation between the player and manager. Maybe there has been some honesty there. It is rare in football but, if that is the case, you have to give him credit for that.”
Whether or not Spurs manage to land him remains to be seen, but given the fact he looks on the way out of St. Mary’s, Daniel Levy and co may have been handed a boost in their pursuit.