Jenas suggests Mourinho should rethink potential transfer and play Alderweireld in midfield

Jermaine Jenas believes that Tottenham Hotspur should potentially rethink a move for Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The former midfielder believes Spurs can avoid spending their money on the Danish midfielder by utilising their current squad.

Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele have all played the defensive midfielder role under former manager, Mauricio Pochettino with Wanyama and Dembele no longer in North London while Dier has moved to the position of centre back.

While Jenas believes that Hojbjerg would be a sensible addition to the ranks, he claimed that Mourinho could look within his dressing room and potentially use Toby Alderweireld in front of the back four.

“I think he’s a good player and he’s had a really good season at Southampton. I can understand the lure for him,” Jenas told Football.London.

“He’s combative, he does as he’s told and he seems very much a Mourinho player. He likes his players that will just sit in front of the back four and break things up and distribute the ball to better players.

“I think he’d be a good addition, but I think you have to weigh up as a manager where the necessities are in the team.”

Hojbjerg has been strongly linked with a move to Spurs since announcing that he believes he could play at a higher level than he is currently at Southampton (Guardian).

Jenas added: “I’d be sat here going can I get one more season from Moussa Sissoko playing more of a defensive role or can I get Harry Winks a little bit more combative or Eric Dier?

“Could I potentially put Toby Alderweireld in there instead of playing centre-half? There are ways I’d be trying to manipulate that position rather than spending money on Hojbjerg, who I think is a good player but I don’t think he’ll come in and change the game for Tottenham.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I really do not get where JJ is coming from here. Sissoko cannot defend, Winks cannot defend, Dier has returned to his favoured position and Alderweireld has never played CDM so why would we try it out now? If we can get Hojbjerg for around £20m then I do not see a major issue.

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