Tottenham target Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has admitted his recent transfer links to the Lilywhites flatter him, according to a report from B.T.
Sky Sports recently revealed the Saints star is at the top of Jose Mourinho’s shortlist, and Daniel Levy is preparing to make a £35m offer for the Southampton captain in the summer.
Speaking to the Danish outlet, Hojbjerg divulged he is delighted by the speculation and his international teammate Christian Eriksen has told him lots of good things about his time in North London.
“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.”
He added: “I wouldn’t mind knocking a few goals in. Whatever happens in the future, you have to take it as it comes.”
He arrived at St Mary’s Stadium for £13.5m from Bayern Munich and this season the 24-year-old has made 28 appearances in the Premier League for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, picking up 1 assist, making 2.4 tackles per game, averaging 1.5 interceptions, and completing 1.7 clearances (SofaScore).
Predictably, plenty of Spurs fans gushed over Hojbjerg’s transfer update on social media, with one fan branding him “insane,” and another adding he is “better than Winks.”
Have a read through some of the glowing reactions down below…
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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
Leeds United fans have had complaints about their style of play over the past few weeks as they’ve compared their performances to the way they were playing last season.
Some fans believe that the Whites have taken a step back since last term, but it’s impossible to deny that one man who has certainly improved is Jack Harrison.
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The winger has been in excellent form as of late, and his WhoScored stats show just how much he has improved since his first season at Elland Road.
The winger has been criticised heavily this season, but it seems as if those words have only spurred him on to improve.
The Man City loanee is so much more creative as his key pass per game number has increased by 80 per cent.
Of course, as a bi-product of that, he’s already got more assists than he did last term, and that’s despite Leeds’ poor finishing stats, so it would appear that he’s creating top-quality chances, and the Whites are able to rely on him to be a key source of creativity.
Graham Smyth’s summary of Harrison nicely sums up how good he’s been this term.
“Harrison’s involvement, the little lay-off, is becoming habitual, a go-to tactic Leeds United are beginning to rely on and the assists he is racking up – four in his last five games – give them no reason to stop.”
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In terms of scoring goals he’s already halfway to the number he hit last term, and that can be attributed to the number of shots he’s taking in each match as he’s seemingly getting into better positions to take aim at goal.
One of the most important things at Leeds is teamwork, and it’s clear that Harrison is involving himself in the overall play a lot more in his second season under Bielsa as he’s averaging over nine more passes per game this time around.
All in all, it’s clear to see that Harrison has massively improved this term. He’s gone from not completing a single accurate cross in six matches to laying on four assists and scoring a goal in his last five outings.
A real veteran of English football, it feels like Juan Mata has been plying his trade on these shores for a very long time indeed.
The Spaniard was a key figure at Chelsea, making 135 appearances for the Blues. After joining Manchester United in January 2014 for £37.1m, the midfielder has continued to be a regular presence in the Premier League.
The 31-year-old has now played well over 200 times for the Red Devils, but his game-time this season has been slightly more limited. He has completed just 303 minutes of football in the top-flight, and may have perhaps been wondering whether he is still a part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side’s long-term plans.
But in an impressive team victory against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, Mata produced the kind of performance that under-lined he still has plenty to offer.
As per Sofascore, the ex-Chelsea man completed four of his five attempted dribbles, had 71 touches and two key passes as he helped pull the strings.
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After seeing the £160k-a-week man’s display, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their diminutive play-maker.
Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed they felt he brought a sense of control and creativity from the number ten role, with one fan in particular insisting he was in his “prime form”.
Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou sees no long-term future for a "quality player" in his squad, and his levels are said to have "significantly" dropped behind the scenes.
Tottenham vs Arsenal – team news and injury updates
Spurs supporters will be anxiously waiting for Postecoglou's official team sheet ahead of their looming North London Derby on Sunday, with the Lilywhites set to host cross-city rivals Arsenal in a mouth-watering clash right after the international break.
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Both teams come into the contest on a similar run of form, with Tottenham winning one, drawing one and losing one of their opening three Premier League games so far. An opening weekend draw away to Leicester City was followed by a dominant 4-0 win over Everton, but Newcastle continued to be an unhappy stomping ground for Spurs, with the Magpies inflicting a 2-1 defeat on Postecoglou's men at St. James' Park.
Arsenal were dealt their first dropped points of the new campaign a fortnight ago, drawing 1-1 with Brighton at the Emirates, which will encourage Postecoglou – alongside Mikel Arteta's array of absentees this weekend.
Timo Werner
RB Leipzig (loan)
Dominic Solanke
Bournemouth
Archie Gray
Leeds
Wilson Odobert
Burnley
Lucas Bergvall
Djurgarden
Min-hyeok Yang
Gangwon FC
Declan Rice won't be involved through suspension, while Arsenal summer signing Mikel Merino is also set to miss their trip to Tottenham after picking up a shoulder injury in training. Gunners captain Martin Odegaard could be sidelined for the next four weeks with an ankle injury too, so he won't be playing any part in north London.
For Spurs, there is optimism that Postecoglou could have a near-fully fit squad at his disposal. Star defender Micky van de Ven, summer signing Dominic Solanke and Richarlison missed their loss to Newcastle, but at least two of the aforementioned men could feature against Arsenal.
Postecoglou stated before their trip to the North East that Richarlison could be out for weeks after a training injury, but both van de Ven and Solanke may return for Spurs this weekend. However, there is a worry surrounding midfielder Yves Bissouma.
Bissouma was hauled off injured in midweek, during Mali's 1-0 win over Eswatini, and some reports suggest he could be a doubt to face Arsenal, depending on the severity of his issue.
Postecoglou could freeze Sergio Reguilion out at Tottenham
There is also a debate whether Postecoglou will call upon Sergio Reguilon for his matchday squad, with the Spaniard yet to feature this season after failing to seal a summer move.
The left-back, reported to be on around £120,000-per-week, could still seal a move to Turkey with their transfer window open at the time of writing, but he is running out of time.
Serge Reguilon in action for Tottenham.
GiveMeSport claim that Postecoglou sees no long-term future for Reguilon at Tottenham, and it is believed that the 27-year-old's levels have "significantly" dropped behind the scenes, which won't do him any favours.
Jose Mourinho's Fenerbache are reportedly interested in Reguilon, coming after the Portuguese originally brought him to Spurs from Real Madrid in 2020, but it is unclear whether the former Sevilla starlet will get a Süper Lig lifeline so late in their window.
Called a "quality player" by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Reguilon, and whether a move could open up for him in January instead.
Of all the traditional 'big six' clubs, Manchester United probably have the proudest history of integrating academy products into the first team and turning them into superstars.
In fact, arguably one of the most well-known football quotes of the last 30 years, "you can't win anything with kids," was about the United side of the mid-90s, and if we remember right, they were just a little bit successful.
Even today, Marcus Rashford, rightly or wrongly, remains one of the most important players in Erik ten Hag's squad, and the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo means that the club's record of producing superstars for the first team is set to continue.
However, for every player that makes it, plenty don't, but one who couldn't quite make the grade is now thriving away from the Theatre of Dreams, has won comparisons to former greats and might even be better than Mainoo, maybe.
The rise of Mainoo
Mainoo made his debut for United's first team in an EFL Cup game against Charlton Athletic in January 2023. While he didn't score, he played 60 minutes and helped the team to a 3-0 win at home.
Kobbie Mainoo scores for Manchester United
He'd make another couple of short cameos in the FA Cup and Premier League, but mainly stayed with the youth teams until he was finally given a chance to show the world his quality the following season.
In all, the 19-year-old gem made 32 appearances for Ten Hag's side last year, in which he scored five goals – including a stunner against Liverpool – and provided one assist, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement once every 5.33 games, which is quite impressive for a young midfielder in a somewhat dysfunctional side.
The Stockport-born star turned so many heads during the campaign that England manager Gareth Southgate decided to take him to Germany for the European Championships, where he made six appearances and started every match from the round of 16 through to the final.
In all, Mainoo looks like he's just the next in a long line of superstars produced by United, although another former Red Devil who's just made it into the England squad might have a claim to being an even better player than the 19-year-old.
Angel Gomes' rise
Yes, the former United prospect in question is fellow midfielder Angel Gomes, who, after failing to break into the first team, signed for French giants LOSC Lille for free in the summer of 2020 following the expiration of his contract.
The youngster was immediately sent on loan to Portuguese side Boavista for a season, during which he impressed enough to earn a place in Les Dogues' squad the following campaign and then a place in the starting lineup the season after that.
The 24-year-old has been described as being "like Paul Scholes" by former United academy graduate Dann Webber for his ability to "dictate a game with his intelligence". However, there are a couple of other similarities as well.
The first is their physical stature, with both men standing at just 5 foot 6, and the second is their positional versatility.
While the Lille ace has now moved into a role that sees him stay in midfield more often, he has played all over the pitch in the past, akin to how the former United legend was sometimes moved around on the pitch between club and national team games.
With all that said, how does the former United "wonderkid", as talent scout Jacek Kulig described Gomes, compare to their current one? Well, both players are set to be in the upcoming England squad and both can operate in central and defensive midfield. However, the Lille ace does start more games in attacking midfield, and the difference in their output reflects that.
For example, while the 19-year-old scored five goals and provided one assist last season, the Lille star scored two goals and provided ten assists, suggesting that he is the better creator out of the two.
Appearances
45
32
Goals
2
5
Assists
10
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.26
0.18
That said, even with Gomes looking like a slightly more dangerous player at the moment, you'd be hard-pressed to find a United fan willing to take him over Mainoo.
So, while it would've been great for the Red Devils to keep a hold of the talented midfielder, his move away in 2020 has worked out relatively well for everyone involved.
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Tottenham Hotspur have endured a mixed start to the Premier League this season, with a draw away to Leicester City, a win at home to Everton and a loss away to Newcastle United.
Ange Postecoglou's side have played some entertaining football so far, and in both away games, they created enough chances to pick up all six points, but as it did last season, a lack of finishing ability cost them.
That said, the club's new £65m striker, Dominic Solanke, has missed the last two matches through injury, so perhaps the team's lack of cutting edge shouldn't be massively surprising.
After all, the former Bournemouth star was on fire last year and will surely score a mountain of goals in this Lilywhites set-up, although he has been outscored by a former Spurs flop over the last couple of campaigns.
Solanke's recent record
So, after ending last season as only the seventh-highest scoring team in the league, Tottenham decided to go out and splash the cash on Solanke this summer, with the hope that he'll be the striker to help turn the endless chances created by Postecoglou's system into a whole heap of goals, and based off last season, they might be right.
For example, in his 42 appearances for Bournemouth, the Englishman scored 21 goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.68 games for the Cherries. This impressive rate of return saw him finish joint-fourth in the Premier League's top goalscorers list, alongside Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins.
However, while he was incredible last season, he was simply okay the campaign prior, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists in 35 appearances for the South Coast club, equating to a slightly less impressive – for a striker – average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games.
Postecoglou and Co will be hoping that they get the Solanke of last season and not the one before that this year, although when you combine both campaigns, the former Liverpool ace has been outscored by a former Spurs flop who left the club a couple of years ago.
Bergwijn's recent record
Yes, the player in question is Dutch attacker Steven Bergwijn, who joined Spurs from Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven in January 2020 for a fee in the region of £25m.
Tottenham Hotspur's Steven Bergwijn celebrates
The rapid dynamo spent two and a half years in North London, in which he made 83 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists, but he could never cement himself in the starting lineup under Antonio Conte, so he returned to the Netherlands in summer 2022, joining Ajax for about £26m.
In the two campaigns since, the 35-capped international has been in scintillating form. For example, in 22/23, he scored 16 goals and provided six assists in 45 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.04 games.
2022/23
Bergwijn
Solanke
Appearances
45
35
Goals
16
7
Assists
6
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.48
0.40
2023/24
Bergwijn
Solanke
Appearances
31
42
Goals
13
21
Assists
5
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
0.59
He then reached another level last year, and in just 31 matches, he managed to score 13 goals and provide five assists, meaning he maintained a seriously impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games.
This run of form led to an offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, and earlier this week, it was confirmed that he had moved to the uber-rich Middle Eastern league, much to the disdain of Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman.
In the end, it looks like Bergwijn's exit from Tottenham worked out for all parties, although with the Dutchman plying his trade in an even weaker league this season, he'll probably end up outscoring Solanke for another year.
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Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a La Liga gem, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his squad ahead of his first full campaign in charge at Villa Park.
The Spaniard will be joined by Monchi, who could deliver the Villans a host of exciting signings this summer if he is to repeat history with his impeccable track record of orchestrating upgrades in the transfer window.
The Midlands side have been linked with a host of talent from La Liga, with several names cropping from Emery’s previous club Villarreal, with the latest link being one of the Yellow Submarines' staple individuals.
What’s the latest on Dani Parejo to Aston Villa?
According to reports in Spain, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa remain a club interested in Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo.
Last month, Sport Witness relayed further news from Spain that Villa had ‘set their sights’ on the 34-year-old, with the Villans named once more this week as a club that could steer the Spaniard away from signing a new deal with the Yellows.
Barcelona are another club mentioned to be monitoring the midfielder, who will become a free agent next summer should an extension not be agreed.
What could Dani Parejo offer to Aston Villa?
With 457 La Liga appearances, the 34-year-old offers experience in abundance with attributes that cannot be bought in a player that has played at the top level in a formidable career.
Despite being older than most competing among Europe's elite, the Spaniard ended the league season ranked as Villarreal’s second-highest performing player with an average Sofascore match rating of 7.24.
In 37 appearances in La Liga, the former Real Madrid man contributed three goals and four assists, and most importantly demonstrated why he remains as a highly regarded player through his playmaking instincts.
Villa have already confirmed a fellow midfield playmaker this transfer window, with Leicester City ace Youri Tielemans set to join the Villans following the expiry of his contract with the Foxes.
Hailed as a player with the ability to “launch attacks” by former Anderlecht and Belgium gem Paul Van Himst, Tielemans could form a duo powered by their playmaking intel if paired with Parejo.
Averaging 1.4 key passes per game this season in La Liga, the Coslada-born star has recorded 104 career assists to highlight his talents when dispatching the ball and seeking the runs of those around him.
Lauded as a “midfield maestro” by scout Antonio Mango, the 34-year-old maintained a passing accuracy rate of 91% last term, averaging 70.38 attempted passes per 90 showcasing the talents Emery could recruit for his midfield alongside Tielemans.
When comparing the duo via FBref, it’s clear to see what they could bring to any side, with the Belgian averaging 6.95 progressive passes per 90 to Parejo’s 6.85, presenting as two players that excel in dispatching the ball.
Emery could reunite with his former player, with the Spaniard hailing his former coach as being “several steps above” to reinforce the relationship between the two professionals.
Monchi could deliver Villa an experienced master in the middle of the park in the £62k-per-week ace, as a player that could add more than just his impressive exploits on the field to the squad.
Dejan Kulusevski's permanent move to Tottenham has fell through after a meeting with Juventus officials in London, according to reliable journalist Lee Ryder of The Chronicle.
Who could leave Spurs this summer?
Ange Postecoglou's arrival at Spurs has ended the long, drawn out search for Antonio Conte's successor – which lasted over two months – and it's now time to prepare for the 2022/2023 Premier League campaign.
There have been reports of a possible overhaul at the club as many players face uncertain futures, with Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier and Ben Davies all being linked to exits. Spurs, meanwhile, could also look to offload Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele (The Telegraph).
The latter quartet, who are returning from their prospective loan spells, could have a chance to impress new manager Postecoglou and resurrect their Tottenham careers.
Regardless of who ends up going out the door this summer, it's imperative for chairman Daniel Levy and the board to do so as they eye sufficient squad upgrades.
The north Londoners are reportedly looking to capture a new centre-back and goalkeeper to replace Hugo Lloris – not to mention Leicester City stars James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
Kulusevski's future has also been a hot topic later, with the Swede still just on loan from Juve and no sign of his permanent deal clause being activated yet.
Dejan Kulusevski
Spurs have a buy-option of around £30m and recent reports suggest that they're eager to keep him at the club, but according to Ryder, there's been quite a twist.
Writing for The Chronicle, as Kulusevski's permanent move to Tottenham "falls through", the journalist claims he is now being "offered around the Premier League" and Newcastle are one of the clubs handed a chance to sign him.
This comes after Spurs met with Juve officials in London, where they were offered "first refusal" to buy the winger outright. Kulusevski's representatives, World Soccer Agency, have apparently been in the UK looking for other suitors.
Who is Dejan Kulusevski?
This update comes as a surprising one and contrary to other claims, which suggest Spurs are keen to keep him.
Signing from Juve in a January 2022 loan-to-buy deal, Kulusevski came in and produced some exceptional performances – scoring five goals and racking up eight assists over the second half of 21/22 to help Tottenham qualify for the Champions League.
The forward endured a mixed 22/23 campaign, though, so it will be interesting to see whether Ryder's update proves correct.
Arsenal have scheduled talks to sign Galatasary right-back Sacha Boey this week and are "expected to shake hands" on his price tag, according to reports.
Who could Arsenal sign this summer?
The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta are to begin preparations for what will be an all-important 2023/2024 Premier League campaign.
Arsenal, after narrowly missing out on their first league title in nearly 20 years to Man City, must now shore up key areas of the squad and strengthen sufficiently.
Sporting director Edu, commenting on the club's transfer plans in April, confirmed there has already beem movement in this regard.
"Our planning has already been done," said Edu to ESPN (via 90min).It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."
Arsenal are eager to reinforce in central midfield especially with reports suggesting they could make as many as two major signings in that position. As well as there, the Gunners are believed to be chasing a new full-back, leading to links with Man City's Joao Cancelo.
Boey, who has been impressing in Turkey for Galatasary, is also regularly mentioned as a target for Edu.
Newspaper Takvim on Tuesday, via Sport Witness, has some very interesting news on Arsenal and their links to the Frenchman. According to their information, the north Londoners "will hold a meeting" with Galatasary this week, and "negotiations" will take place over Boey's signing.
Despite some differences over price, with Galatasary previously asking for £22m, there is now belief that the two clubs are "expected to shake hands at €20m (£17m)".
Who is Sacha Boey?
As per WhoScored, Boey stood out as one of Galatasary's crucial players over 2022/2023, with only Mauro Icardo managing a higher match rating per 90 than the 22-year-old.
The starlet's defensive stats were solid – averaging their joint-highest rate of tackles per 90 and second-highest rate of interceptions in the Turkish Super Lig last season (WhoScored).
He could be an exceptional acquisition for Arsenal at just £17m, with former defender Bacary Sagna believing Boey is perfect for Arteta.
“Galatasaray’s Sacha Boey is a player I really like," said Sagna.“I think he will fit perfectly into Arsenal. As a right-back too, I have to say I think he’s great. I’m sure many clubs have Sacha Boey in mind.“There is a contract to sign.”
Tottenham Hotspur may give Ivan Perisic another year at the club despite speculation over his future in N17, according to journalist Dean Jones.
What's the latest news involving Ivan Perisic?
According to Calciomercato, Perisic is said to want to return to his former club Inter Milan in the summer following a disappointing campaign for all involved at Tottenham.
The report states that the Croatia international wants to leave Spurs despite having a year left on his £180k-per-week contract at his current employers; however, Inter Milan may struggle to afford his hefty wages.
As per The Evening Standard, it is claimed that Perisic could be on his way out of Tottenham in the off-season alongside fellow teammate Ryan Sessegnon.
There is also uncertainty over the future of defensive trio Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez, who may also benefit from a new challenge elsewhere.
In 2022/23, Perisic made 44 appearances in all competitions for Spurs, registering one goal and 12 assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Perisic may be kept around for another year at Tottenham despite the fact that he seemingly would be open to an exit.
Jones told FFC: "I'm not sure about Perisic, to be honest. I can see him hanging around. I think that sign a two-year deal, the first year definitely hasn't gone as we'd have expected, but that's because we were expecting Conte to be there all season and for things to probably go better than they did under him. But, I think there's a possibility he hangs around."
Should Tottenham Hotspur keep hold of Ivan Perisic?
Realistically, a lot will depend on who Tottenham turn to as their next manager and whether they see Perisic's experience as a valuable commodity to keep around in north London.
Right now, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is the leading candidate for the role and has been booked in for further talks with the club next week; nevertheless, ex-Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has also been internally discussed, as per Fabrizio Romano.
ivan-perisic-tottenham-hotspur-unleash-everton
WhoScored notes that 34-year-old Perisic managed to record an average of 1.4 key passes per match in the Premier League across 2022/23, demonstrating his ability to play an important part in chance creation for the Lilywhites.
FBRef also take into account that the former Inter Milan star performed 87 progressive carries over the course of the campaign, illustrating his ability to be an offensive threat from either the right or left flank.
His versatility is also a plus point when reviewing whether Spurs will keep Perisic on going into next season; nevertheless, we will find out more in the next few months once the club announce who their permanent successor to Antonio Conte will be.