Tottenham tipped to sell £25m-valued star and sign Rodrigo Bentancur ally – pundit
Alan Hutton has tipped Tottenham to cash in on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in order to fund the signing of a more complete midfielder.
The former Spurs defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, admitted the 26-year-old is “very defensive-minded” and questioned if he fits into Antonio Conte’s system.
A recruitment source told Football Insider on Monday (21 February) that Jose Mourinho wants to sign the midfielder for Roma this summer.
This site understands Spurs value Hojbjerg at around the £25million mark.
Hutton insisted January signing Rodrigo Bentancur is more in the mould of what Conte wants from his midfielders.
He suggested Spurs could sell Hojbjerg to help bring in a partner for the Uruguay international.
Asked if he thought Spurs would let Hojbjerg go this summer, Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “It really depends on their plans moving forward and who they want to bring in.
“You obviously see Bentancur coming in. He has got different sorts of attributes, he can get up and down the pitch. He’s really like that number eight and I think that’s what Tottenham are looking for.
“Hojbjerg does a specific job for me. He is very defensively minded. I know he’s tried to get forward in certain games, trying to dictate play and make things happen.
“But I don’t really think that’s his overall game. He’s more of a destroyer, breaking things up. It really depends on how Antonio Conte sees his midfield moving forward.
“If they are to go and compete with the teams at the top end of the league, they probably need more. I think Conte knows that.
“If Mourinho comes in with a bid that’s acceptable, they might move him on. Then they look to bring somebody in who can do everything within that midfield. That’s what Conte seems to like.”
Hojbjerg has played 18 times in Conte’s 21 games in charge at Spurs.
Meanwhile, Bentancur, 24, has made five appearances since his January move.
In other news, an insider has revealed Tottenham are ‘on the phone with Nike’ after February announcement.