BBC Solent journalist Adam Blackmore has hinted at a potential fee of £50m for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer.
Blackmore says that Southampton could be able to sell Hojbjerg for £50m this summer if Mario Lemina came back and found form at St. Mary’s.
Speaking on the Total Saints Podcast (22/03/2020), Blackmore said:
If Lemina could be the player we all know he can be for 90 minutes every game, you wouldn’t worry about selling [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg to a top 4 club for £50m.
Lemina, when he wants to be, is a heck of a player. Dynamic, strong, not as disciplined as Pierre, not great passing. But if you want someone to disrupt a game, he’s excellent.
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Of course, there are plenty of variables in this scenario, not least that Lemina would need to return and impress enough to convince Ralph Hasenhuttl that he can be relied on. However, it must be said that Blackmore is only hinting at his potential value and not saying that a club is ready to pay £50m for Hojbjerg.
Tottenham have been linked with a move for the Danish international, although it remains to be seen whether they would be willing to stump up such a fee for him. £50m would be Southampton’s second-biggest transfer fee brought in for a player, second only to the £76m Liverpool paid them to land Virgil Van Dijk.
For argument’s sake, let’s imagine Southampton do have an offer of £50m on the table for Hojbjerg. If Lemina, or even a player like Will Smallbone, is able to step up in the summer and prove that they can be a regular starter in the Premier League, Southampton could afford to let Hojbjerg go. With £50m potentially in the bank, Southampton could also dip into the transfer market to replace him.
Southampton have been linked with Florian Grillitsch, who is available for £21m this summer. He is the same age as Hojbjerg, has Bundesliga and Champions League experience whilst costing, potentially, almost £30m less. It could be a shrewd bit of business for the Saints if they can pull it off.
