Tottenham £17m transfer boost confirmed ahead of next window
Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia has confirmed that his club will complete the permanent transfer of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer.
The 29-year-old departed Spurs in the summer on loan to the French giant after dropping down the pecking order under Ange Postecoglou. As part of the deal for the Danish midfielder, a clause was inserted into the contract that Marseille could make the deal permanent next summer for £17m.
After starting all seven Ligue 1 games this season, and wearing the captain's armband on three occasions, the French giants seem smitten with Hojbjerg and are ready to make his signature permanent. Speaking to Danish newspaper Tipsbladet, Benatia explained: "Pierre has signed a loan agreement with an option to buy, so the move will soon become permanent.
"Pierre will help us with our project to qualify for the Champions League. We are very happy to have Pierre-Emile here in Marseille.
"Before his change, we had many talks with him and our president Pablo Longoria. Pierre told me he had offers from Italy, England and other countries, but that if we could do a deal with Tottenham, it was Marseille he wanted to play for."
Continuing, Benatia was keen to stress just why Marseille are so fond of Hojbjerg. "It’s actually easy to answer, because you can just look at the statistics," he concluded.
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"Pierre is one of the best, or the best, player in Ligue 1 when it comes to ball possession and successful passes. It says everything about his role on the pitch and as a leader in midfield.
"But for me it’s also about his great influence off the pitch. He’s a natural leader and a good example for all his teammates, especially the young players."
Marseille were busy in the transfer window signing the likes of Manchester United's Mason Greenwood, Everton's Neal Maupay and free agent Adrien Rabiot as new manager Roberto de Zerbi aimed to strengthen his team.