Tottenham Hotspur have seen their summer transfer window explode into life at the back end of June, with two deals adding to their permanent acquisition of Dejan Kulusevski.
Having tied up a move for a new goalkeeper, they would then supplement this £17.2m move for Guglielmo Vicario by unloading another £40m to tempt James Maddison from Leicester City.
In a matter of days, two of the Lilywhites’ key problem areas were solved, as they added some much-needed goals to their engine room and secured a potential successor to Hugo Lloris.
However, just yesterday it was reported by The Athletic that Ange Postecoglou is now open to the prospect of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg departing north London, kickstarting a brand new saga for this window.
Despite having impressed since his 2020 move from Southampton, the combative general could now be considered too slow for the all-action brand that the Australian will seek to implement. As such, he could be the first casualty of this revolution.
Having been credited with an interest in Inter’s £50m-valued Nicolo Barella back in mid-June, perhaps they could seek to truly reignite this move now and add to their already strong contingent of players sourced from Serie A.
After all, this battling midfield maestro would mark a fine alternative to the Denmark international, with his skillset arguably far more preferable for the ideals of the new coach.
Will Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leave Tottenham Hotspur?
Many might question this transfer switch should it come to pass, given there is hardly a huge gulf in quality that suggests they would be making a marked improvement.
However, it is more about play style rather than pure talent, of which Hojbjerg boasts plenty.
Despite a trying year for the club, the 27-year-old maintained a 7.11 average rating in the league last term, buoyed by nine goal contributions, an 89% pass accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 1.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
However, his average pace has often let him down in key areas, which risks the midfield getting overrun. With this new philosophy, Postecoglou will simply not allow that to happen.
In Barella, he would be gaining a relentless runner in the engine room, who retains an offensive impetus but would also inject some additional bite and speed. Given the tactician often operates with two No 8s in his midfield, the additional creativity that this option offers boasts could edge him out, alongside his unwavering energy.
In all honesty, his figures are not too dissimilar from the man he would replace. His average rating in Serie A last term sat at 7.08, having notched 12 goal contributions, maintained an 85% pass accuracy and made 1.4 tackles per game. It is his goalscoring figures plus his 1.6 key passes per game that truly help him stand out from his potential counterpart, via Sofascore.
It is worth noting that his average rating would have made him the joint-fourth-best performer when compared to Antonio Conte’s squad from last campaign in the Premier League.
To further emphasise his speed and work rate, aided by his slight frame, football talent scout Jacek Kulig sought to outline this when he branded the Italy international a “little warrior” back in 2019.
Perhaps he could now bring that battle-hardened attitude to north London to add to Postecoglou’s ever-growing list of fine acquisitions from this summer that are poised to have a big impact.