Pierre-Emile Højbjerg Scout Report At Spurs 2021/2022: Why Spurs’ Midfield Man Could Be A Bargain Acquisition For Top Teams In Europe This Summer

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is a Danish central midfielder, currently playing for his national team and in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.

Since moving to Southampton in 2016 Højbjerg has proven himself to be a reliable performer at this level, having played for the Saints for four years and he is now in his second season with Tottenham Hotspur.

Yet, there have been recent claims that Antonio Conte doesn’t see Højbjerg in his future plans, which may well see the Danish international move on this summer at a cut-price deal.

Plenty of teams playing at the highest level across Europe are likely to be interested  no doubt Jose Mourinho would be interested in taking him to Serie A with Roma.

This tactical analysis and scout report seeks to provide greater insight into Højbjerg’s strengths as a player, with this analysis showing what system and tactics’ he prefers to be employed in.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg Style Of Play

At 26 years of age, Højbjerg is only now entering the peak years of his career.

Given his overall approach to the game, he is also likely a player who will age well, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him continue to play at a high level well into his thirties.

Højbjerg has most often been seen as a defensive midfielder, with his ability to break up play something that many fans of Premier League football associate with the player.

However, to neglect other parts of his game is perhaps unfair, and this analysis will look to highlight some other strengths of his as well as look at his defensive ability. 

Højbjerg can play as a defensive midfielder and do so as a single pivot, as well as working well in a double pivot.

He can play as an 8 as well, and whilst he might not be quite as effective in this role, he still shouldn’t be pigeonholed as a defensive player  as he can still offer plenty going forward in more advanced positions, too.

His heat map from this season, shown below, further indicates that he generally plays in a deeper position, with the majority of his actions coming just inside his own half.

But he isn’t limited to playing in just these areas, with still a significant amount of actions occurring well inside the opposition half. 

One key trait of Højbjerg’s game is his energy, and it’s unsurprising to see a vast volume of ground covered in this heat-map.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg Pace of play in transition

Højbjerg is highly effective in moments of transition and would certainly suit a side that values dominating the game in these moments  whether in attacking transition or defensive transition.