Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has given the clearest indicator of where his future lies by claiming he wants to play at a 'higher level' and win trophies.
The Dane has been with Southampton since 2016 when he made a £12.8m move from Bayern Munich, a deal which was seen as a real coup for the Saints in securing a young player of his calibre.
His near four-season stay on the south coast has seen him become a fan favourite, eventually being named captain of the club by current boss Ralph Hasenhuttl in December 2018.
With one year left to run on his current deal, talk had emerged via the Evening Standard that Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho was keeping a watchful eye on the midfielder, who even kept close tabs during the most recent January window.
Establishing himself as a key component with the club has seen his stock rise, seemingly to the point where Hojbjerg has now confirmed that his ambition is to win the Premier League and Champions League, which, in all fairness, probably won't be at Southampton (never mind what Che Adams says).
"I know what I want, the club knows it too," Hojbjerg told SPORT1, as quoted by the Evening Standard. “I want to play at an even higher level than I am currently. The relationship between me and Southampton is fantastic.
“The club gave me the platform to grow. I'm not saying 'goodbye' and I'm focused on my club, but my goal is very clear: I want to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
“I gained a lot of experience [at Bayern Munich] so that I could move on to develop elsewhere. When I was 23 I became a captain in a Premier League club. Now I’m hungry to get to the next level.”
An amicable departure seems to be the way forward, although how amicable that can be when the player expresses a desire to play at a 'higher level' is questionable. Southampton will want to command a decent fee for their captain, and with one year left on his current deal, it would appear a summer departure looks somewhat inevitable.
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Source : 90min