Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has refuted claims that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has rejected an extension, which could mean that he may still commit his future to the club.
Football Insider had reported that Hojbjerg turned down a new deal from the club amid interest from Tottenham.
However, Hasenhuttl has claimed that Hojbjerg has not yet been offered a new contract and that they will not be speaking to anyone until the club hits 36 points.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl said:
Nobody is turning any contract down because he has a contract for one more year and we have not spoken with anyone so far.
We spoke about 36 points; we have 34 and nobody has been offered anything. We try to keep calm and concentrate on taking points.
If you have this and we are in a safe area, then we can start talking.
Hasenhuttl’s comments suggest that there could be hope yet that Hojbjerg will put pen to paper on a new deal with the Saints. Southampton are just two points off the magic 36-point mark Hasenhuttl keeps referring back to, so a decision on Hojbjerg’s future could be made in the coming weeks.
If Southampton beat Newcastle on Saturday they will surpass 36 points and can start to discuss contract extensions and plans for the future in the coming seasons. Hojbjerg can then decide on whether or not he wants to stay at the club and if he is happy with the direction the club is heading in.
But at the very least, Southampton fans know that – as of yet – Hojbjerg has not officially made that call and has not turned down the offer of a new contract. It could also be down to whether Tottenham are serious about their interest in him and whether or not they make a concrete offer for his services, as he could be left in limbo if he lets his contract run down and then does not get a big move to a European club.
