Agent of Tottenham midfielder in shock talks with Barcelona over January move that could leave Postecoglou in panic mode
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has emerged as a Barcelona target
The agent of a Tottenham midfielder has reportedly met with Spanish giants Barcelona over a surprise January transfer window move that could leave Ange Postecoglou woefully short in his engine room next month.
January is expected to be a busy one for Spurs as Postecoglou looks to get at least three signings over the line, including a new centre-back, midfielder and central striker.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that the club have spoken to Nice about completing a move for their highly-rated central defender Jean-Claire Todibo, who has been on Manchester United’s radar for some.
In terms of adding another striker to the mix, it appears that Feyenoord’s prolific marksman Santiago Gimenez remains Ange Postecoglou’s top target to finally fill the void left by Harry Kane’s departure.
However, midfield remains a bit of a conundrum for the Tottenham boss, who loves the growing partnership of Yves Bissouma and Paper Sarr but will be without the dup for much of January and potentially early February as they head to the African Cup on Nations.
And with Rodrigo Bentancur still injured and Giovani Lo Celso missing out against Nottingham Forest with an issue of his own, that leaves Postecoglou having to potentially lean more on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp at the turn of the year.
Neither player really fits in with the style or tempo of football that Postecoglou wants to play, while signing another midfielder can end up treading on the toes of that growing Bissouma-Sarr axis.
However, Postecoglou may have no choice but to dip into the market, if the latest reports on Hojbjerg are to be believed.
Mundo Deportivo states that the Denmark international’s agent has met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta, with a view to a potential January switch to the Camp Nou.
Hojbjerg has gone from being a first-team regular under Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte to a bench-warmer under Postecoglou.
The Dane has still proved to be a useful asset to the Australian though, given the number of injuries Tottenham currently have, while self-inflicted suspensions have also hit the club hard.
Indeed, Bissouma will be banned for the next four games after picking up his second red card of the season at Forest last time out.
Hojbjerg to play bigger role in January
And if Lo Celso is not fit to return, Postecoglou will almost certainly turn to Hojbjerg to bolster his engine room in the coming weeks.
But all that could be blown up if Barca push hard to take the 28-year-old to Catalonia, especially given that Hojbjerg knows his days are numbered at Tottenham long-term.
The former Bayern Munich is said to be keen on an exit, having also been heavily linked with Juventus, but it now looks as if a move to Barcelona is the likeliest option.
The report adds that the player’s agent, Pini Zahavi, has met with Laporta recently and it’s believed Hojbjerg may have been “one of the topics” of discussion.
Zahavi is known to have a “great relationship” with Laporta and, given the LaLiga outfit’s need for a new central midfielder, it’s expected Zahavi may have been touting his client to fulfil that need.
Hojbjerg is due back in action for Tottenham on Saturday when they host in-form Everton in the Premier League.
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