Tottenham Hotspur are apparently hoping to do away with a pair of out-of-favour midfielders during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Despite making sweeping changes to the Lilywhites XI since taking over from Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou has persisted with the two-man pivot in the heart of the Lilywhites engine room.
Two players who failed to earn their stars under Conte - Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr - quickly became Postecoglou's first-choice pairing in the centre, playing integral roles in Spurs' record-breaking start to the season.
While the Lilywhites are no longer in the title conversation, they are just three points off the top four with a game in hand on Aston Villa, while Rodrigo Bentancur is now back at Postecoglou's disposal after a series of injuries.
With Sarr, Bissouma and Bentancur jostling for two spots in Postecoglou's system, a handful of other midfield enforcers are often left disappointed in their pursuit of minutes, and two of them are supposedly set to bid farewell this summer.
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Tottenham name asking price for Dane
According to Football Insider, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is one name on the chopping block, having gone from an undisputed starter under Conte to nothing more than a fringe player in Postecoglou's setup.
The former Southampton man would normally link arms with Bentancur in Conte's 3-4-3, and he has made 31 appearances in the 2023-24 campaign, but only six of his 28 Premier League appearances have come from the first whistle.
Hojbjerg is also without a single goal or assist in the current campaign and was strongly linked with a move to Juventus in January, before he and his agent ruled out a transfer in the last knockings out of the window.
However, the 28-year-old is not expected to earn an extension to his Tottenham contract, which runs out next summer, and the report claims that bids in the region of £20m and £25m will be entertained by the North London giants.
Juventus and other clubs in Italy are still believed to be monitoring developments, and Hojbjerg himself is also pushing for an exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before his deal runs out in 2025.
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"Unhappy" Argentine desperate to quit Lilywhites this summer
In addition to Hojbjerg, Tottenham are also hoping to offload Giovani Lo Celso, who was widely expected to head for the exit door last summer following the end of his 18-month Villarreal loan.
To Spurs fans' surprise, though, Lo Celso elected to remain in North London and sought to prove himself under Postecoglou, which he briefly did in the winter with goals in back-to-back Premier League games against Aston Villa and Manchester City.
The Argentina international also set up two goals against Bournemouth on New Year's Eve, but he has been bedevilled by injuries and is yet to start a Premier League games in 2024, earning just four appearances in the first XI this season in total.
Also out of contract in 2025, a separate report from Football Insider claims that the 27-year-old is discontent with his lack of minutes at Tottenham and is desperate to leave the club this summer.
Lo Celso's wish is expected to be granted by Tottenham, who are also keen to sever ties with the South American for a fee this summer before he walks away for nothing in just over 12 months' time.
Ben Knapton
