Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl sent a clear message to Tottenham Hotspur regarding the future of midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
The Denmark international has been heavily linked with a move to North London, with Everton also taking a keen interested in the former Saints captain.
Hasenhuttl recently stripped him of the captaincy after he chose not to extend his contract at St Mary’s, handing the reigns over to James Ward-Prowse.
But the boss may have revealed what may happen with Hojbjerg, with Jose Mourinho’s side not yet meeting his £25m valuation.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference (as per Hampshire Live), Hasenhuttl potentially threw a spanner in the works of Spurs plans by dropping a possible bombshell on Hojbjerg’s short-term future.
Will Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leave Southampton?
Yes
No
“I don’t know if we will even sell him,” said the Austrian. “We don’t have to buy someone else when he hasn’t gone.
“The price for Pierre doesn’t affect the price we pay for a player because the targets we have are definitely lower than the players we sell. This will never be the same, so we aren’t thinking about it.”
Hasenhuttl added that clubs will have to make reasonable offers for their players in order to take them off the books at St Mary’s, insisting that Hojbjerg is currently a Southampton player and it will remain that way until otherwise.
It is great to see a boss that is prioritising the integrity of the football club, rather than hoping to make a quick sale from a disgruntled player.
Of course, it is never a good situation to have a player in your squad that doesn’t want to be there, but Hasenhuttl’s assertive stance on his situation will reassure Southampton fans greatly.
