Ange to finally ditch Hojbjerg with late Spurs move for special £20M ace

Tottenham Hotspur moved quickly this month to sign Radu Dragusin permanently from Genoa and borrow Timo Werner from RB Leipzig. In January, Ange Postecoglou added players to his team to help at the offensive and defensive ends of the field. But that might not be the end of his business.

Earlier this month, football.london said that the next player the club will likely try to add before the end of the window is a central midfielder.

Also, The Telegraph says that Napoli, the winners of Serie A, want to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Spurs this month if he becomes free to move.

TalkSPORT said in November that Postecoglou would be willing to sell the Danish playmaker in January. Now that Napoli is interested, Postecoglou needs to get rid of the former Southampton player.

In order to finally get rid of Hojbjerg this month, the Australian manager could move quickly to sign one of the club’s rumoured middle targets. So, here are three players who could come in and replace the Dane in North London before the window closes…

Hayden Hackney

In the beginning of the month, the Evening Standard said that Spurs are ready to join other teams in the race to sign Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.

It was said that Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool are also interested in the young, bright star, but he might not be free until the end of the season.

The young player is very good and could be a great addition to Tottenham’s team, whether they can make a deal this month or in the summer.

Hackney, who is said to be worth around £20 million, has shown how good he is and how much promise he has while having and not having the ball for Boro this season (2023–24).

In 17 Championship games, he has averaged 2.0 stops, 2.0 interceptions, and 7.4 ball returns per game. Hojbjerg, on the other hand, has made an average of 1.4 tackles, clearances, and ball recoveries per game in 20 Premier League games.

In contrast to the Danish loser, this suggests that the England U21 player could be more useful when the ball is not in his control by regularly winning it back for his team during games.

Hackney, who was called “special” and a “controller” by expert Ben Mattinson, has also been forward-thinking with the ball for Boro this season, with 8.11 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which puts him in the top 2% of his positional peers in the division, and 2.29 progressive runs per 90 minutes, which is the highest rate in the second level.

And Hojbjerg has done 7.27 progressive passes and 1.36 progressive runs per 90 for Spurs in the Premier League and European games over the last 365 days.

Conor Gallagher

Wednesday, Football Insider said that Spurs are still working on a “marquee” deal to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea this month. Chelsea is a foe in London.

Talks are going on between Tottenham and Chelsea to try to get the England player to join the Lilywhites and help Postecoglou’s team.

However, HITC recently said that because of Profitability and Sustainability Rules, Chelsea can spend more when they sell local players than when they sell one of their big-money buys. Gallagher has been a regular starter in the middle of the pitch for the Blues.

This means that Spurs might be able to get the England player, who has been playing very well this season.

As you can see from the table above, the 23-year-old superstar has been better than average in a number of key areas, both when he has the ball and when he doesn’t. He has played 20 Premier League games.

As a young star, Gallagher has the skills to stop enemy attempts very quickly while also being quick and clever with the ball in his hands. This is why he could be a great addition to the team to replace Hojbjerg.

John Adam Wharton

Lastly, Adam Wharton is a defender who could be signed so that the Danish player can move on to Napoli or any other club that might be interested.

This month, Football Insider said that Spurs are one of several teams keeping an eye on the Blackburn Rovers prospect in case they want to make a move for him.

The Championship team doesn’t want to lose him this month, but the report said that an offer of £10 million to £15 million could get them to sell their skilled star, especially if it comes in the summer.

The 19-year-old talent from the second division could be signed with an eye towards the future. He would be a great option for Hojbjerg, who hasn’t been a regular starter.

The former star for Southampton has only played five Premier League games this season. As a youngster, he might do best as a backup to players like Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and Rodrigo Bentancur as he continues to learn and grow.

Wharton has been a regular for Blackburn in the Championship. He has stood out because of his defensive middle role and ability to stop attempts from the other team.

He is currently in the top 9% of midfielders in the league in terms of tackles (2.84 per 90 minutes), and he is also in the top 7% for tackles and clearances (4.29 per 90 minutes).

Wharton is one of only 3% of midfielders who win more tackles per 90 minutes in the attacking third of the field (0.58). This shows that he is an active player who is willing and able to press the other team in their own third to open up counterattacking opportunities for his team.

Overall, the 19-year-old dynamo looks like a potential player, and he could be a great addition to the team if Hojbjerg leaves as part of Postecoglou’s long-term plan for North London.

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