Tottenham in pole position to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Tottenham have opened talks with former Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg over a potential move to North London, according to Football Insider.
Hojbjerg, who was relieved of his captaincy after failing to agree a contract extension, is now said to be one of Jose Mourinho’s top targets.
The 24-year-old is seemingly playing his final games at St Mary’s, with the failure of contract extension talks indicating that his loyalties will lie elsewhere.
The Telegraph understands that Spurs are in pole position to snap him up, but Ajax have also joined the race looking to offer around £15 million for the Danish international, as well as guaranteed Champions League football.
Southampton are believed to value Hojbjerg at around £25 million, but Daniel Levy is hopeful of the fee being nearer to the £20 million mark.
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It seems inevitable that Hojbjerg will leave Southampton in the next transfer window, whenever that may be.
It’s a shame that he will be leaving the Saints in these circumstances, as he has been a very good player for them, and at 24, his best years are yet to come.
It’s understood that the central midfielder favours a move to another Premier League side, rather than going abroad, which would indicate why Spurs are the favourites.
However, Ajax is another very attractive prospect due to the promise of Champions League football.
Dusan Tadic was another player that made the switch from St Mary’s to the Johan Cruyff Arena and he has had a very successful time since joining.
It looks inevitable that the Danish star will depart from the club this summer, so Saints will now need to focus on getting the biggest fee possible for him.