Southampton brilliance shining through in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Southampton have a knack for uncovering serious talent and then selling them. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is just another example of their brilliance in this dept.
Southampton is in a unique situation where, somehow, they always manage to overcome massive exits from the team. The Saints financial backing has never allowed them to keep hold of their stars. From Theo Walcott to Sadio Mane, they can’t keep hold of anyone.
Related: Charlie Austin must start
Yet somehow, they always manage to stay in the upper echelon of the Premier League table. Last year they finished sixth despite losing another chunk of players to bigger pay checks.
Over the summer though, Southampton yet again showed their astuteness, as well as a newfound ability to spend money. Sofiane Boufal, though he has not played as of yet, is going to do great things for the Saints and they spent a whole £21m on him.
However, they also spent an additional £13m on young Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, in what is already turning out to be a brilliant signing.
The young midfielder had to step into a midfield role that was once held by Victor Wanyama. How’s that for pressure?
Yet, despite the clear-cut responsibilities of Wanyama, Hojbjerg brings more to the table. He may not be the defensive-minded, human wrecking ball, but as we have seen in his limited appearances this year, the Dane brings a rounded-approach to a rounded position.
More from We Are Hooligans
Against West Ham in particular, we saw what he could bring to the table. Hojbjerg was the midfield general, taking more touches on the ball than any other player on the pitch, he made the most of his time, creating chances, snuffing out opposing attacks and vacating the ball from danger.
For only his third start in the Premier League, it’s safe to say that Southampton made a solid investment yet again (they always manage to).
Hojbjerg has also shown that he will not be bullied off the ball, which, for a 21 year old who has never been to England, is pretty damn impressive, all things considered.
The trick is going to be holding onto these guys, but that is always the trick with Southampton. They have another great base of young talent that they spent a lot of money on, so maybe that new financial investment will be enough drive to keep them invested in the club.
This article originally appeared on 
