Juventus targets Hojbjerg, OM ready to offload fallen captain for €10m

Juventus Turin has identified Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as its priority to strengthen its midfield during the winter transfer window, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Marseille club, financially squeezed, would be willing to sell the Dane for less than €10 million despite a market value estimated at €15 million by Transfermarkt.

OM’s situation explains this discount. Since the summer, the Phocaean club has already lost Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Facundo Medina, Geronimo Rulli, Leonardo Balerdi and Quinten Timber under the combined pressure of the DNCG and Frank McCourt’s decision to stop injecting funds. These sales, however, have not been enough to create sufficient room to recruit: sporting director Grégory Lorenzi is still waiting for one or two additional sales before he can make his first signing in this position.

Hojbjerg himself weakened his position within the squad last summer by refusing a transfer to Newcastle, preferring to wait for an offer from Italy. McCourt’s entourage, irritated by this refusal, then demanded that he be stripped of the captain’s armband. At 31 years old, the former Bayern Munich and Tottenham player continues to operate in his number 6 role, but his performances have shown a marked decline in the second half of the season, according to internal observations.

Sportively, the context does little to favour an extension. Bruno Genesio’s OM sits in the penultimate place in Ligue 1 after four consecutive defeats — against Monaco, Paris FC, Rennes and PSG — followed by elimination from the Ligue Europa at Besiktas. The club resumes competition at Troyes after a three-week international break.

If Hojbjerg’s transfer materializes in January, there is no guarantee that Lorenzi will use the funds received to recruit, given OM’s severe budgetary constraints.