Paul Merson has claimed that Pep Guardiola would never be tempted to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg since the midfielder is very much a Jose Mourinho kind of player.
It was during Guardiola’s time at Bayern Munich that Hojbjerg was handed his first-team debut for the Bundesliga giants, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history to make a senior appearance.
Hojbjerg came through the ranks as a wide player at Bayern but has since evolved into a disciplined defensive midfielder.
The Dane has undoubtedly been one of the signings of the summer after he has slotted seamlessly into the base of the Spurs midfield and made Mourinho’s men a much more sturdy outfit.
While Merson praised Mourinho for identifying Hojbjerg as the player to fill a void at Spurs, he insisted that Guardiola would have not signed the former Southampton man given the different attributes one needs to get into the Manchester City midfield.
The former Arsenal midfielder told Sky Sports News (1:48 pm, December 12, 2020): “It’s horses for courses, isn’t it? You pay that money for me.
“Man City wouldn’t buy him for £18 million, they wouldn’t buy him for £25 million. It’s horses for courses. That’s where Mourinho is great.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While one can understand where Merson is coming from, he seems to be vastly underestimating Hojbjerg’s technical ability. The Dane is certainly good enough on the ball to play for a team like City and his ability to read the game and be at the right place to make interceptions, would make him an asset for any side in world football.
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