Harry Diamond
Everton have made a bid for wantaway Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as the club seek to strengthen their options ahead of next season.
Hojbjerg has informed Southampton of his desire to leave the club this summer and is keen to move to a side with European aspirations, revealing in an interview to the German press earlier this season his ambitions to win both the Premier League and Champions League.
Tottenham have been strongly linked with a move for the Denmark international – who was stripped of the captaincy at Southampton after making his intentions to leave clear – but according to the Telegraph, Everton have now emerged as strong contenders for his signature.
Carlo Ancelotti is desperate to strengthen his under-performing squad this summer and views Hojbjerg as a player who would instantly improve his midfield, the 24-year-old having impressed for the Saints since signing from Bayern Munich four years ago.
Southampton are believed to value the player at around £35m but are likely to have to reduce their asking price with the midfielder having entered the final year of his contract at St Mary’s.
Everton‘s opening offer is believed to be around £18m and it remains to be seen whether Spurs are prepared to match that figure, the north London side badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and targeting cost-efficient additions this summer.
Jose Mourinho’s side, however, are prepared to include full-back Kyle Walker-Peters in any potential deal to take Hojbjerg to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Southampton keen to keep the 23-year-old following his performances on loan at the South Coast this season.
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