So Tottenham are really beginning to find their feet under Jose Mourinho in these final few games of the season.
After a shambolic defeat away to Sheffield United, Spurs didn’t look like the kind of side who were heading in the right direction. But since that travesty, they have been in imperious form, picking up 13 points from a possible 15 in the Premier League – including a north London derby triumph over Arsenal.
And against top-four chasing Leicester on Sunday afternoon, Harry Kane and co put the Foxes to the sword, and Mourinho will surely be delighted at how things are now shaping up.
But one man’s performance left a lot to be desired, and is perhaps one of the big reasons behind their interest in Southampton powerhouse Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
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Moussa Sissoko has been a regular in Mourinho’s starting eleven since the Premier League’s restart, featuring in every single game. But against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Sunday, he just didn’t seem the like the kind of player who can really assert himself as the ball-winning player in a two-man central midfield.
As per Sofascore, the Frenchman made no tackles whatsoever in the 90 minutes that he was on the pitch, made just one interception, and was dribbled past twice.
And in those 50/50 challenges that you perhaps would have backed him to shine in, Sissoko looked completely overwhelmed by the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans in the Leicester midfield.
He lost seven out of the ten total duels that he contested, and lost possession 11 times. It was no surprise that his match rating of 6.5 was the worst of any Spurs player who started the game.
If Mourinho is intent on having someone like Harry Winks or even a Tanguy Ndombele as part of his midfield two, then having a more dominant anchor man is needed. Sissoko showed against even a weakened Leicester side that he may not be the man for the job in that kind of role, which is why a move for 6 foot 1 man Hojbjerg seems like the perfect signing for them.
The Dane could sweep up in front of the back four and be aggressive in the tackle, and then just recycle the ball to the likes of Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and those further forward.
Sissoko’s display proved why Daniel Levy must splash the cash on Hojbjerg this summer.
