Postecoglou wields power with unfancied Tottenham midfielder ‘certain’ to leave in summer under his orders

Tottenham Hotspur will definitely sell Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer on one almost certain condition, according to a report from a country where the midfielder remains in demand.

Hojbjerg was linked with a move away from Tottenham in the January transfer window, until he confirmed his intention to stay with them for the rest of the season.

But by the summer, there will only be one year remaining on his contract, which will lead to fresh speculation about his future. Indeed, that speculation has already begun.

According to Il Bianconero, it is ‘certain’ that Tottenham will sell Hojbjerg in the summer, as long as Ange Postecoglou stays as manager.

The reception to Postecoglou since he took the reins in the summer has been largely positive, so it seems unlikely he won’t be Tottenham’s manager when the time comes to address Hojbjerg’s future.

That spells bad news for the Denmark international, but the good news for him is that he still has suitors in the transfer market.

The Italian source claims Juventus are still considering Hojbjerg as a potential target, but only if Tottenham set a reasonable asking price.

Exactly what Spurs are likely to demand remains to be seen, but if Juventus have the means to pay – which is not a given – they could be Hojbjerg’s next club.

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It would be his first time playing in Serie A, but he might be more suited to the Italian game than Postecoglou’s dynamic system at this stage of his career.

After all, while the Australian tactician has used Hojbjerg in 22 Premier League matches so far, he has only trusted him as a starter for six of those games.

Hojbjerg believes he can still have an impact on the team, which is why he stayed, but there might be more playing opportunities on offer elsewhere.

Juventus have Hojbjerg alternatives

That said, he is not the only option Juventus are keeping under observation.

Other midfielders on the Old Lady’s radar include Fiorentina’s Giacomo Bonaventura, Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners and Udinese’s Lazar Samardzic.

But the reason they wanted to reinforce their midfield in January was because of bans for Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, so it remains to be seen how much of an issue it will be by the summer.

Their solution recently was to loan in Carlos Alcaraz from Southampton, with a €49.5m option to buy.

“I have no fear but we’ll see the price-tag thing with time,” Alcaraz recently said of his own long-term future.

“I want to play well and then the price could be or could not be appropriate. It depends on what happens on the pitch.

“I am calm, I know I have to work well.”

The Argentine is a different type of midfielder to Hojbjerg, often playing in a more advanced role, so they could complement one another if Juventus can find the funds for both acquisitions.

While they share a Southampton past (albeit not at the same time as each other), only time will tell if they will share a Juventus future next season.

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