Tottenham and Everton locked in battle to sign Saints’ Hojbjerg
Southampton have accepted a bid from Everton of around £25million for Pierre-emile Hojbjerg, but Tottenham Hotspur are still in the race after tabling an offer of their own.
Tottenham’s bid falls short of Southampton’s valuation and, although they are ready to sell Hojbjerg to Everton, Jose Mourinho has not given up hope of signing the former Bayern Munich midfielder.
Hojbjerg has only one year left on his contract so could leave for nothing next year, so will have some considerable say over his future.
The 24-year-old was stripped by manager Ralph Hasenhuttl of the
Southampton captaincy and replaced by James Ward-prowse earlier this summer after deciding that he would not sign a new deal. Spurs emerged as early favourites to sign the Dane, but Everton made the first formal bid, of around £18 million, which was rejected last week.
There have since been discussions over a player-plus-cash deal which could include Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker-peters converting his loan move to the southcoast club to a permanent transfer. Although he wants to remain, Southampton would prefer to keep the negotiations separate.
Mourinho will have to raise funds in the transfer market if he wants to make signings during the window and Southampton were last night waiting to see if Spurs would return with a new bid that at least matches Everton’s offer.
England international Eric Dier, has agreed a new four-year contract to keep him at Tottenham until 2024.
Losing out on Hojbjerg, meanwhile, would be a blow to Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is pushing hard for the club to invest this summer.