Ten Hag wants former prodigy - Why Man United want to sign Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

With just days left before the transfer window closes on September 1, Manchester United have started talks to sign Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Sky Sports has reported that the Danish national team player would be allowed to leave his current club Tottenham Hotspur. The Telegraph previously reported Manchester United’s interest in the midfielder. Højbjerg is currently under contract until 2025 at White Hart Lane but is currently playing a diminished role under new head coach Ange Postecoglou. 

Tottenham had previously accepted an offer of €35 million from Atlético Madrid, but the LaLiga couldn’t reach an agreement with the player. Man United, with head coach Erik ten Hag, feel that they won’t have any issues convincing the player to join. Ten Hag knows Højbjerg well from their time together at Bayern Munich, and the Dutch coach believes that the Dane would fit perfectly in his system. In fact, the 53-year-old Man United boss wanted to sign Højbjerg when he was still at Ajax, but a deal at the time fell through. 

Whether Man United can afford to sign Højbjerg is another question. The Red Devils have already invested almost €200m in just three new players this summer and have earned just €37m on the transfer market in player sales. The transfer could be, therefore, a matter of budget, especially as Ten Hag also wants to sign a left-back in the form of Marc Cucurella. Højbjerg, who has more than doubled his market value to €45m since he joined Tottenham for €16.6m from Southampton, will not come at a cheap price. As a result, one alternative that has been discussed is Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.  

Højbjerg to Man United – Why Ten Hag desperately wants the midfielder 

But why is Man United boss Ten Hag desperate to sign Højbjerg? "I really wanted him to be there [at Ajax]," Ten Hag said in January 2021 about wanting to sign Højbjerg. "We were really close to that. We have spoken to him several times.” In fact, Ten Hag has believed for some time that his Man United side needs more depth in midfield. In Casemiro, Donny van de Beek, and Scott McTominay, Man United currently employs just three players who can fill the role of a defensive or central midfielder. Furthermore, McTominay has been heavily linked with a move away from the club. 

The question is whether Højbjerg can be the missing piece for Man United. Although he offers defensive intensity and is considered a hard-working player, there have been some questions about his transitional play in recent years. According to Opta stats, Højbjerg ranked ninth among Premier League central midfielders with 151 duels won and second with 245 recoveries. But Højbjerg was also fundamental in Tottenham’s attack as he ranked fifth among central midfielders with ten through balls and 18th with 25 successful key passes. In other words, Højbjerg epitomizes the transition player with steel, and the numbers highlight why Ten Hag, for the second time in his career, would like to sign the Danish national team player.