Ralph Hasenhuttl has told BBC Radio Solent that he is set to strip Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of the club’s captaincy if he does not sign a new contract this summer.
The Danish star is about to enter the final year of his contract at Southampton and he’s been linked with moves to the likes of Tottenham and Everton in recent months.
Speaking to the BBC, Hasenhuttl said that the midfielder cannot expect to be the Southampton skipper for the 2020/21 campaign if he does not commit his future to the club.
He said:
I think the situation wouldn’t be good for him. As a captain, you cannot lead a team without extending your contract, this is always difficult, so yeah, we must look at what will happen.
Read Southampton Verdict
Hasenhuttl is well within his rights to change his captain if he doubts Hojbjerg’s long-term commitment to the Southampton cause.
As this situation drags on, it’s starting to feel like the Danish international could be on his way out of the club this summer, especially as he did speak about moving to a different club in the not-so-distant past.
Hasenhuttl clearly believes in cohesion and team harmony and as such, he’ll want a captain who leads by example in these regards and a player refusing to sign a contract would not be the person to be a role model to others.
