The smell of panic is pungent at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have made strides in appeasing Erik ten Hag by signing a goalkeeper whose profile is more conducive with his ideals, as well as a striker the club hope can evolve into something quite special. However, injuries and an unconvincing start to the season has left the Red Devils needing more before the end of the summer transfer window, which is just days away.
While defensive injuries and Rasmus Hojlund's absence mean we're yet to see anything close to United's apex this season (supporters will hope), the Red Devils are once again going to be miles off the Premier League's aristocracy should their midfield issues persist.
Ten Hag's tendency to man-mark has pulled United's midfield trio all over the place, particularly in their first two games, with 31-year-old Casemiro left on an island with a haven of space to cover in transition. While it's unlikely that a different midfield profile would totally solve their woes, United are nonetheless in the market for a midfielder in the final days of the window.
The club have once again been linked with a whole host of names, including World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat, but the latest player associated with a move follows a trend of Ten Hag favouring players he's worked with in the past. It's been a while since the Dutchman and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg broke bread, but the Denmark international could reunite with his former boss at Old Trafford.
When did Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg play under Erik ten Hag?
A youth player at Brondby, Hojbjerg was named the Danish Under-17 Player of the Year in 2011 before moving to Bayern Munich as a 17-year-old in 2012.
While he became the youngest player to ever feature for Die Roten in the Bundesliga, Hojbjerg settled in their reserve squad and enjoyed a strong end to his debut season. Deployed in a box-to-box role and occasionally down the flanks, Hojbjerg ended the campaign with six goals in his final ten games.
Ten Hag entered the fray in June 2013 as the Bayern Munich II manager. An Eredivisie journeyman during his playing days, Ten Hag helped Go Ahead Eagles to their first promotion in 17 years in his first season in management.
Hojbjerg trained with Bayern's first team ahead of the 2013/14 season with new manager Pep Guardiola immediately taking to the young midfielder, whom he saw as the Sergio Busquets of Bavaria. The Dane trained with Guardiola throughout the season, but the vast majority of his minutes came with Ten Hag and the reserves.
He ended the campaign with just shy of 400 senior minutes under his belt but well over 1,000 for Ten Hag's side as Bayern Munich II won the newly established Regionalliga Bayern. The tragic death of his father meant Hojbjerg didn't feature down the stretch as Bayern's reserves celebrated their title triumph.
As a result, Hojbjerg's last game under Ten Hag arrived against Eintracht Bamberg on 28 March 2014. The midfielder played the full 90 as Bayern won 5-2. With his first-team opportunities limited, Hojbjerg joined Augsburg and Schalke on loan before joining Southampton permanently in 2016. As for Ten Hag, his stint at Bayern came to a close in 2015 before he moved onto Utrecht and, subsequently, Ajax.
Would Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg succeed at Man Utd?
Hojbjerg missed only three Premier League last season but his reputation has suffered considerably as one of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte's main generals over the last three years, during which Spurs have regressed on the pitch.
The Dane has struggled against high-quality opposition, especially teams who move the ball quicker than previous iterations at Tottenham, and he has since lost his place in the starting XI since Ange Postecoglou came in during the summer.
United might be at the stage in their summer window where any body that comes through the door in midfield is seen as a positive, but for the progressive and attractive football Ten Hag is looking to implement, Hojbjerg is not the right fit.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's record under Erik ten Hag
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This article was originally published on 90min as Erik ten Hag’s history with Man Utd target Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
