Wouldn't Tottenham need to protect Pierre-Emile Hoibier.
L'Equipe, a leading French media outlet, on the 26th (Korea time) selected and announced the best Eleven in the first half of the league for players who performed well in 2024 while looking back on the first half of the French League 1 in the 2024-2025 season.
I saw a familiar name. Hoibier was the main player at Tottenham from the 2020-2021 season to the 2023-2024 season. Heubier won the French League's Best Eleven with a good performance as soon as he moved to the new team.
Hoibier, who moved to Tottenham after being favored by former coach Jose Mourinho, has never been a main player except under coach Enze Postecoglou. He was not a perfect player in pass and technique, but his determination and activity helped Tottenham's midfield a lot.
However, with Postecoglou's arrival, Hoibier's position was greatly reduced. The untechnical Hoibier failed to give Postecoglou much credibility. There were many rumors of a transfer, but the transfer failed because no club appeared to match the desired amount from Tottenham.
Still, Hoibier did not express dissatisfaction with his position and played an altoran-like role throughout the season. Hoibier was cleared at Tottenham ahead of the 2024-2025 season. Tottenham manager Postecoglou has allowed him to sell Hoibier, who does not conform to his tactical philosophy. Hoybier was loaned to Olain Peak Marseille. It was a lease with a full recruitment clause.
Heubier is back in his prime after leaving for Ligue 1 in France. Hoibier, who played in all 15 league games, completed his full-time appearance in the third round of the league except for the 41st minute of the second half. As soon as he moved to Marseille, he still has leadership to the extent that he played with the captain's armband.
After moving to Marseille, Hoibier has been active as a defensive midfielder. One game was played as a centre-back. According to football statistics outlet Footmob, Hoibier has the 16th highest rating in the league this season. Considering that he plays as a defensive midfielder, it is a very high score. He is leading the revival of Marseille by showing stable game management in fourth place in the pass accuracy league.
Hoibier's role in Marseille now is the most poor positions for Tottenham. Rodrigo Bentancur, who just returned from Son Heung-min's racist punishment, opened his breath, but Yves Bissouma's performance has been sluggish since the middle of last season. It is gradually being pushed out as it shows an unstable appearance.
Considering that Christian Romero and Mickey van der Penn continue to be players at risk of injury, it would have been a better option in the end to leave Hoibier, who can also serve as a center back. Tottenham does not have a midfielder who performs better than Hoibier this season simply based on his skills. That's the reality.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
