After signing for Southampton for a fee of just under £13 million, Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg certainly has a point to prove.
Højbjerg signed for German giants Bayern Munich when he was just 17 and was then promoted to the senior team just a year after – by Pep Guardiola. Between 2013 and 2015, his career stalled slightly but in January 2015 he was loaned out to FC Augsburg and made 16 appearances, scoring twice in the process.
Returning to the Bayern setup in the summer of this year under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, it seemed as though he was surplus to requirements in the first team. He signed for Saints soon after, looking to prove himself in the Premier League and maybe looking to justify his ‘wonderkid’ label.
A slightly rugged start to the season has seen a silver lining develop in Højbjerg, who has been nothing short of brilliant in the middle of the park. Subsequently, this begs the question for Southampton fans of, ‘how lucky are we to have him?’
Signing the young Dane for a brilliant price in today’s market at just under £13m is a massive coup for the club and has gone under the radar as possibly one of the best signings of the summer.
Højbjerg suits new manager Claude Puel’s tactics and philosophy, with immense passing range and a stunning first touch. He can also bring the ball forward and is not afraid to run with it.
We can only wait and see what Højbjerg has got in him this season and I, for one, am absolutely delighted that the club secured his services.
