Journalist Paul Brown has shared some detail behind a "serious" last-gasp deadline day Fulham bid to sign Tottenham star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Fulham deadline day signings
Despite the links to a plethora of stars very late in the window, Fulham did little business yesterday but did manage to seal a dramatic late loan move for AC Milan defender Fode Ballo-Toure.
The Senegal international, who plays as a left-back, joins Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez, Calvin Bassey, Steven Benda, Alex Iwobi and former Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne as Marco Silva's main summer signings.
Fulham were also boosted by star midfielder Joao Palhinha remaining at the club, as his proposed move to Bayern Munich collapsed in the eleventh hour.
The Portugal international had even travelled for a medical with Bayern, but the Whites ultimately didn't give the green light to the move, possibly because they couldn't source a late replacement.
Hojbjerg, who was a mainstay for Spurs under Antonio Conte last season, has found game time difficult to come by in Ange Postecoglou's new-look Tottenham system.
The Dane, as a result, was being chased by Fulham during the latter stages of the summer window – with journalist Brown sharing what he's heard on the matter to GiveMeSport.
Indeed, it is believed Fulham were the "last club" to make a "serious" last-ditch offer to sign Hojbjerg, but the move didn't come to fruition.
The former Southampton star is now left in "limbo" as a result of this, as explained by Brown to GMS:
“Hojbjerg is also one who isn't going to be allowed to leave. I think Fulham were the last club to make a serious offer, but they no longer need to decide what to do about how they replace Joao Palhinha, and I'm not sure he was their first choice there.
“So, he's currently in limbo. It is interesting that Ange Postecoglou also said today that he's not going to be freezing anyone out. If any of the fringe players they're trying to sell end up staying beyond the deadline, they will be reintegrated.
“He's not quite as strict on squad numbers as other managers and he is willing to work with a slightly bigger squad, while he says that right now it's not a problem in terms of numbers in training or anything like that.
How good is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?
While Palhinha staying reduces the need for Hojbjerg, in a hypothetical universe, he may well have been a capable deputy for the ex-Sporting CP ace.
The Denmark international ranked as one of Spurs' best-performing players per 90 last term, according to WhoScored, with Hojbjerg also registering the highest pass accuracy (88.6%) of any Tottenham player with over 10 starts.
He chipped in with nine goal contributions in the league, four goals and five assists specifically, and former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson praised Hojbjerg for his performances at the back end of last year.
"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson to Football Insider.
“I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up.
“He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."
