Spurs must rue selling their answer to Rice; Frank said he “could be a world class DM”
The summer transfer window was a period of necessary change for Tottenham Hotspur, a club looking to rebound from a deeply disappointing Premier League campaign.
Under new manager Thomas Frank, the club invested significantly, bringing in a fresh wave of talent headlined by the creative spark of Xavi Simons, the defensive steel of Joao Palhinha, and the attacking flair of Mohammed Kudus.
While these signings have generated optimism, they also invite comparison to the business done by their fiercest rivals, a comparison that highlights a recurring theme in Spurs’ recent history: the tendency to let go of players who later flourish elsewhere.
No player embodies the success of a rival quite like Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Since his £110 million move in 2023, the English midfielder has become the engine of Mikel Arteta’s team, a player who defines their intensity and control.
His impact is measured not just in trophies—though Arsenal’s consistent second-place finishes show his influence but in his remarkable all-around contributions.
He operates at an elite level both in creating chances and breaking up play, a complete modern midfielder who leaves Spurs fans wondering what might have been if they had such a presence in their ranks.
This sense of a missed opportunity is amplified by the fact that Tottenham did have a player with a strikingly similar profile until very recently: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
The Danish international was a consistent and often underappreciated figure during his four years in North London, making nearly 200 appearances.
However, he fell out of favor in Ange Postecoglou’s system and was allowed to leave for Marseille this summer in a deal worth just £17 million.
This decision looks increasingly like a significant misstep, especially under the new management of Thomas Frank, who himself once managed Hojbjerg at youth level and hailed him as a potential “world-class defensive midfielder.”
The statistics from last season reveal just how impactful Hojbjerg was and why his departure is so puzzling.
When directly compared to Declan Rice, the Dane outperformed him in nearly every key metric that defines a dominant central midfielder. The data paints a clear picture of a player operating at an exceptionally high level.
The following table illustrates a direct comparison of their per-90-minute statistics from the 2024/25 season:
| Metric (per 90) | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg | Declan Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games Played | 30 | 35 |
| Goals & Assists | 6 | 11 |
| Progressive Passes | 8.9 | 6.1 |
| Pass Accuracy | 92% | 83% |
| Passes into Final Third | 7.8 | 4.3 |
| Tackles Won | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Tackle Win % | 54% | 41% |
| Interceptions | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Recoveries | 5.8 | 4.9 |
Data sourced from FBref
These numbers are startling. Hojbjerg was not just a defensive shield; he was a proactive and precise distributor of the ball.
His ability to progress play with passes into the final third and maintain a 92% pass accuracy shows a level of composure and technical security that is invaluable for a team like Tottenham, who aim to control games through possession.
Defensively, he was more effective in winning tackles and making interceptions, demonstrating a reading of the game that is first-rate.
For a manager like Thomas Frank, who values tactical discipline and players who can execute a defined role to perfection, Hojbjerg would have been an ideal fit.
Instead, he was sold for a fee that seems embarrassingly low for a player of his proven quality and experience. His continued excellence in France only serves to highlight what Tottenham have lost.
While the new signings bring excitement, the decision to part ways with Hojbjerg represents a curious oversight, a case of a club potentially failing to recognize the value it already had in its ranks—a value that rival clubs would pay a fortune to acquire.