Marseille president Pablo Longoria has given insight into how he signed Pierre-Emile Højbjerg from Tottenham Hotspur.
Longoria was a guest on Business of Sport podcast, and Le10 Sport have relayed his comments.
Marseille initially signed the 30-year-old on loan from Tottenham in July 2024 and made his stay permanent the following May. The Denmark international knows the Ligue 1 club’s sporting director, Medhi Benatia, as they played together at Bayern Munich.
Højbjerg had several options to leave Tottenham in 2024. Later that year, Benatia said the Dane Højbjerg was determined to join the French club.
Longoria has now explained they used Champions League football as the main factor to attract the player. This as essential for them to convince Højbjerg to choose them when leaving Tottenham.
Tottenham exit sees Champions League every season
“How does OM position itself for a player like Højbjerg? I think that when you reach maturity in your career, you want to play in the Champions League every year. That’s the number one priority for a player like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg,” he said.
“So, we’re selling a project based on patience, a love of football, being in a different environment. The desire to play in the Champions League every season.
“When you reach maturity in your career, you’re not just looking for a career plan. You’re thinking about how to maintain stability at the highest level, how to feel emotionally, how to feel important in a project.”
The president believes the ex-Tottenham man knowing the language and his connection with Benatia helped him settle in quickly.
“Pierre, for example, has natural leadership skills. I think that automatically fit with the atmosphere, especially since he speaks French and played with Benatia, at Bayern. It was like a perfect fit,” Longoria explained.
Last season, Højbjerg played 32 matches and he’s made nine appearances under Roberto De Zerbi this season.