Manchester United suffer transfer blow as Juventus enter race to sign midfield target - Reports
Juventus have reportedly entered the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojberg, who was courted by Manchester United in the January transfer window.
According to Gazzetta.it, Juventus have identified Hojberg as a possible midfield signing following Paul Pogba's failed dope test and Nicolo Fagioli's betting case. The Italian giants are targeting a January move for the Denmark international to strengthen their midfield.
As per the aforementioned report, Juventus sent a scout to watch Hojberg play for Denmark in the recent UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier encounter against Kazakhstan. However, getting him on board in the winter window might not be straightforward.
Tottenham are reluctant to let him leave on a loan deal and are holding out for a €30 million bid. They are also wary that two of their first-choice midfielders, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, will leave for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Juventus, however, are prepared to play the waiting game in the hope that Spurs will bring down their valuation of the Denmark international. They might have to face competition from Atletico Madrid, who showed interest in Hojberg this summer.
Manchester United were credited with an interest in the 30-year-old as well but they ultimately signed Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.
Pierre-Emile Hojberg has fallen down the pecking order at Tottenham Hotspur
Pierre-Emile Hojberg joined Tottenham in a €16.6 million move from Southampton in the 2020 summer transfer window. He has since made 153 appearances for them across competitions, scoring 10 goals and assisting 16 times.
He was one of the first names on the teamsheet under former manager Antonio Conte but has fallen down the pecking order under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
This term, he has made just eight appearances for Spurs across competitions, just one of which was a start. He is yet to start a Premier League game under the Australian tactician, with Tottenham leading the league table after eight games.
Thus, it is unlikely that he will cement a spot in the starting XI any time soon and a January move cannot be ruled out.