Tottenham Hotspur made a disappointing return to Champions League action on Tuesday evening, with Antonio Conte’s side suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of AC Milan in San Siro following an early strike from Brahim Diaz.
The Lilywhites had gone into that clash amid something of a midfield crisis, ensuring that the youthful pairing of Oliver Skipp and Pape Sarr were thrust into the action from the start against the Italian champions.
Despite the commendable showing of that duo – having both had a “very good game” according to their manager – the north Londoners may have been suffering from the loss of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, in particular, with the 27-year-old having missed the first-leg encounter due to suspension.
The midfield “warrior” – as described by Sky Sports journalist Nubaid Haroon – has emerged as a real leading figure for the club since his £15m arrival from Southampton back in the summer of 2020, having been described as “invaluable” by pundit Noel Whelan earlier this season.
The Danish maestro has almost been an ever-present in the centre of the park since arriving at N17, having started 96 out of a possible 99 Premier League games since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, proving just what a coup it was for chairman Daniel Levy to bring him to the club just over two years ago.
How much Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg worth now?
Levy’s success is also emphasised by the fact that Hojbjerg – who was linked with a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid during the summer window – is now said to be worth around €70m (£62m), according to CIES Football Observatory, ensuring he is now worth just over four times what Spurs originally paid for him.
That soaring valuation comes amid what has been an “amazing season” for the one-time Bayern Munich man, according to former England international Paul Robinson, having been playing his “best football in a Spurs shirt”, as per Robinson.
That is evidenced by the fact that the 63-cap machine has four goals and three assists to his name in 22 top-flight appearances, while also showcasing his ball-winning prowess after averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in that time.
Still a somewhat “underrated” asset – according to football.london journalist Alasdair Gold – the £100k-per-week monster boasts an average match rating of 7.21 in the league this season, as per Sofascore, with that only bettered by teammate Harry Kane (7.39) among the whole Spurs squad.
That quality was particularly evident in the recent win over Manchester City, with Hojbjerg having registered an assist for what proved to be the game’s only goal, while also winning six duels on the day.
That impactful display has only rubberstamped the 6 foot 2 brute’s undoubted importance to Conte’s side as the reliable screen in front of the back four, with the in-form ace deserving praise for carrying out a typically unsung role so effectively.
With every passing game it does look as if the midfielder’s addition was a genuine bargain, having proven himself a truly “phenomenal player” since his arrival from St Mary’s, in the words of former boss Jose Mourinho.
As the latter man previously stated, “Congratulations to Mr Levy” for managing to pull off that astute piece of business.
