'Extraordinary': Manager feels very 'lucky' after being able to sign £11m player from Tottenham
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With the former Tottenham Hotspur stalwart in fine form at his new employers, the reported 14 million euro transfer fee is already looking like quite the bargain.
In a summer of high-profile arrives, the Spurs loanee was hardly the most exciting on paper.
Marseille brought in Mason Greenwood from Manchester United, one of the hottest attacking talents in Ligue 1 in the shape of Elye Wahi, as well as England Under 21 international Jonathan Rowe.
Adrien Rabiot, a veteran of nearly 50 France caps and a multi-time league champion with PSG and Juventus, also joined on a free transfer beyond the close of the summer window.
TBR understands Rabiot was offered to Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Liverpool but jumped at the chance to join the Stade Velodrom outfit.
What fellow new recruit Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg may lack in star power, meanwhile, the experienced midfielder is more than making up for with his performances on the pitch. Marseille have lost just once in eight Ligue 1 matches with the Denmark international in their XI.
The former Southampton skipper has even captained L’OM on three separate occasions, and opened his Marseille account during the 5-0 dismantling of Montpellier last time out.
Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi hails Tottenham loanee Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
The 1993 European Champions can turn Hojbjerg’s loan into a permanent transfer for fee in the region of £11 million. And, on current form, it is surely only a matter of time before they did just that.
“We are lucky to have them together at OM,” head coach Roberto De Zerbi tells reporters, Hojbjerg and Rabiot showcasing a tantalising glimpse into things to come as Marseille ran riot at at the Stade de la Mosson.
“Two extraordinary players, intelligent, of a very high level, personalities with qualities as players. I am really very happy to have these two players with us.”
Hojbjerg, one of the first names on the team sheet under both Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, slipped down the pecking order once Tottenham handed the reigns to Ange Postecoglou.
The former Celtic boss – a purist at heart – has a very different idea of what he wants a ‘number six’ to be in his system. The destructive, more defensively-minded Hojbjerg was sacrificed in favour of the press-resistant talents of Yves Bissouma and the silky smooth Pape Sarr.
Marseille director Mehdi Benatia feels that Hojbjerg’s supposed weaknesses in possession have been overblown, however. He points out that, as the statistics show, no player in the whole of Ligue 1 averages more passes per game than Hojbjerg’s 98.
Marseille confirm plan to keep Hojbjerg in France
"Pierre has signed a loan agreement with an option to buy, so the move will soon become permanent," Benatia, the former Roma and Bayern Munich centre-half, explains.
"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 team-mates, especially the young players. We have a very young team, and Pierre is essential for them so they can learn what it means to play football at such a high level.
“He is really important to Roberto De Zerbi.”
Benatia adds that the 29-year-old had offers from clubs in Italy and elsewhere in the Premier League. However, Marseille was Hokbjerg’s preferred destination with his Tottenham contract running down.
