Tottenham look set to win the race for wantaway Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with Kyle Walker-Peters set to head in the opposite direction on a permanent deal.
Hojbjerg has been keen to leave Southampton this summer and informed the club of his desire to join a side capable of competing for major honours earlier this year, a declaration which saw the 25-year-old stripped of the club captaincy at St Mary’s.
Everton had expressed an interest in signing the Denmark international and had a £25m offer for the player accepted last month, though Hojbjerg’s desire to sign for Spurs has seen the north London side edge closer to completing a deal.
According to the Telegraph, the two sides have now agreed a fee of £15m for the former Bayern Munich star, alongside a deal that will see full-back Walker-Peters – who spent the second half of last season on loan at St Mary’s – head in the opposite direction and return to the South Coast on a permanent basis for a fee of £12m.
The two deals are classed as separate transfers and there are still bonuses and payment structures to be agreed, while each player must still complete medicals and agree personal terms – though this is not expected to prove problematic.
The news will come as a welcome boost to Jose Mourinho as he looks to rebuild his side with the signing of Hojbjerg following a disappointing campaign for Spurs, the club slumping to a sixth-placed finish and missing out on Champions League qualification.
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