Tottenham Hotspur are in the thick of the battle for Champions League qualification as the Premier League season draws into the crucial late stage, with Ange Postecoglou targeting a successful end to his first year in London.
Aside from the jubilation that comes in tandem with football under the European lights, Spurs need to establish their outfit at the forefront after languishing to an eighth-placed league finish last term.
The Champions League paves a road, one toward success unseen down at N17 in many years, and one that Postecoglou can use to beckon some of the most talented and battle-ready players toward the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, joining Heung-min Son, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and co in their efforts.
Fail to finish in the top four, fail to present the nicest conditions to convince top transfer targets to join the project. In January, Spurs were active and made several promising signings, but failed to sign an established central midfielder, despite a big interest in players such as Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.
Gallagher or a star of his like will be pursued during the summer, joining the current crop and possibly replacing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is set for departure after falling into mediocrity under Postecoglou’s management.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's season in numbers
Hojbjerg has been a mainstay in north London for nearly four years, signing from Southampton for around £15m back in August 2020, and despite amassing 172 appearances and being described as a “phenomenal player” by the man who signed him, Jose Mourinho, he’s fallen out of favour under Postecoglou.
He’s still played a part, but it’s become clear that the Dane does not offer the right skill set to flourish in this new system, where a high-octane approach and fluid interchangeability become staples of the success.
While the holding midfielder has featured 27 times in all competitions, he has been handed a starting berth in the Premier League only six times, said to be at the centre of a “midfield lacking creativity” at times by correspondent Alasdair Gold.
But he has his qualities, right? Of course, Hojbjerg is a crisp and composed presence in the centre of the park who conducts his business assiduously, ranking among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 10% for progressive passes and the top 13% for clearances made per 90, as per FBref.
But this does not temper the lack of mobility, spark and invention that has been reflected in his playing time this term. Hojbjerg’s six starts in the top flight have largely come when absences prevent Postecoglou from fielding his desired options.
As per Sofascore, he might have completed 89% of his passes in the Premier League but an average of just 0.2 key passes, 1.0 tackles, 3.5 ball recoveries and 2.1 successful duels per game, he’s patently not right for the new set-up.
Why Spurs want to sell Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
The points made above already answer why Hojbjerg is considered a spare piece in Postecoglou’s intricate Spurs system, but he is industrious and the fact that he is not a custom-made fit does not alone warrant his departure.
Heung-min Son
£190k-per-week
James Maddison
£170k-per-week
Cristian Romero
£165k-per-week
Dejan Kulusevski
£110k-per-week
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
£100k-per-week
Plainly, Hojbjerg is Tottenham’s fifth-highest earner (not including loanee Timo Werner) and this is surely part of the problem. His £100k-per-week earnings place him above all but the select few of Spurs’ best players, and there’s little justification for sustaining this going forward.
Up until this season, Hojbjerg had been a starring member of Tottenham’s squad – last year, he started 35 Premier League matches – but it’s crystal clear that Postecoglou views him as a utility option at best, and given that he is out of contract in 2025 and is unlikely to pen new terms, Daniel Levy must engineer his departure this summer.
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Having attracted attention in January, it’s increasingly likely that the 28-year-old will leave in several months, and while a replacement will be needed, Postecoglou might just rue last summer’s sale of a star who would be a much better fit.
Spurs' sale of Harry Winks
The man in question is Harry Winks, who was sold to Leicester City for £10m shortly after Postecoglou’s appointment last year after failing to cement a starting spot at Tottenham throughout a turbulent period that saw several managerial changes.
The 28-year-old made the brave decision to step down a division by signing with the Foxes but it was one that has paid off most handsomely, having cemented a starring spot at the heart of Enzo Maresca’s team, who are six points clear at the top of the Championship table with 12 matches to go.
A homegrown product at Tottenham, Winks made his senior debut way back in November 2014, coming off the bench as an 18-year-old in a 1-0 victory over FK Partizan Belgrade.
GK – Hugo Lloris
RB – Kyle Walker
CB – Eric Dier
CB – Jan Vertonghen
LB – Danny Rose
CM – Mousa Dembele
DM – Victor Wanyama
CM – Harry Winks
AM – Christian Eriksen
ST – Vincent Jansson
ST – Harry Kane
While he was undoubtedly struggling to earn a regular role from the outset, Winks’ style of play would actually be far better suited for Postecoglou than Hojbjerg’s has proven to be, having been lauded as the “metronome setting Leicester’s tempo at the top of the Championship” by The Athletic’s Rob Tanner.
Indeed, the ten-cap England international has completed 94% of his passes in the second tier, averaging 0.6 key passes, 1.6 tackles, 3.5 successful duels and 5.8 recoveries per game.
Compare that with Hojbjerg, note how the Dane is trumped across every metric; of course, Winks is performing in a division full of inferior competition, but his ball-playing aptitude and energy have been vital for Leicester’s success, and while he probably wouldn’t feature from the opening every single matchweek under Postecoglou, he’s undoubtedly got the tools to make a bigger impression.
Moreover, he ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship for both pass completion and passes attempted per 90, highlighting just how effective he might be at the Spurs nucleus, being that ‘metronome’ to maintain fluency and drive.
Ultimately, Hojbjerg will probably leave after the campaign finishes and Winks will return to the Premier League with Leicester to revive their standing within English football, having been gushed for the “absolute bliss” of watching him play at the King Power Stadium by Mitch Fretton.
Perhaps if Hojbjerg had been shown the door and not Winks, Postecoglou might have had more suitable equipment to achieve his lofty goals in his fledgling period of a promising tenure.
