Southampton: Captain Hojbjerg comments on transfer links to Spurs

Southampton captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has commented on rumours linking him with a move to Spurs in the summer.

Speaking to Viaplay Sport Live – also quoted via Danish news outlet BT – the 24-year-old seemed flattered by the links being made and admitted to reading reports about his future.

However, it will please Saints fans that he seems in no hurry to leave and will only do so when he feels it is the right time.

In the Viaplay interview, Hojbjerg said:

"“It would be a lie to say I hadn’t read it. It’s a big club and I also think Christian Eriksen has positive memories from there.“The most important thing is that I concentrate on Southampton and concentrate on that when the season starts again, I can continue where I left off."

Links started being made about Hojbjerg back in January and Spurs were mentioned as one of the Dane’s main suitors.

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Everton were also said to be tracking his situation, but Spurs’ position as a club fighting for Champions League football currently would perhaps be more appealing for a player.

Hojbjerg’s contract with Saints expires in the summer of 2021 and it remains to be seen whether he will take the option of staying at St Mary’s for longer.

What the club will not want to do though is let their captain’s deal run into it’s final year and risk losing him for a much cheaper fee.

His ability to carry out his role in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team at the moment makes him a player who could cost around £30m or more, but his best traits aren’t always obvious in matches.

Energy and tireless running are components of his game that help Saints transition from defence to attack quickly – just what Hasenhuttl’s ideal of pressing football is about.

Mixed in with this is an ability to make well-timed tackles and interceptions to get his side back into possession and potentially away from danger.

Hojbjerg joined Saints back in 2016 for a fee of around £13m from Bayern Munich and arrived with a growing reputation which has continued to grow on the South Coast.

To date, he has made 129 appearances in red and white stripes and has worked himself back into the international setup with Denmark as a result.