He won possession back in the midfield third more than any other player in the 2019/20 Premier League season
The José revolution is well under way, and Spurs are set to make their first addition of the summer transfer window. Southampton captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg will join the club on a permanent basis, say reports in Italy.
According to sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, the deal is done after personal terms were agreed earlier today.
Højbjerg will join Tottenham on a permanent deal from Southampton, confirmed. Here we go 🤝⚪️ #THFC #Tottenham https://t.co/Ye9iJQBtPD
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2020
The deal brings to an end weeks of negotiation over the Dane’s future.
Spurs believed they’d missed out on securing Højbjerg’s services after failing to meet Southampton’s valuation of £25 million.
However, it is believed that a bid in excess of €17 million (£15.4 million) has now been accepted by the Saints.
Højbjerg had one year left on his Southampton contract, but had been stripped of the club captaincy after falling out with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. He is alleged to have told Hasenhuttl that he was not planning on renewing his contract at St. Mary’s.
Everton had previously expressed an interest in signing Højbjerg, and had also had a fee accepted. However, the 25-year-old is believed to prefer a move to North London instead.
Højbjerg began his career at Danish club Brøndby IF, before moving to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in July 2012. He only made 17 appearances for the current German champions, and was loaned out to Augsburg and Schalke during his time in Germany.
He joined Southampton in July 2016 for a fee in the region of £12.8 million. He has played 109 times for the south coast side, scoring four times.
Declan Rice: Only Pierre Emile Hojbjerg (157) has won possession in the midfield third more times than @_DeclanRice (126) in the Premier League this season pic.twitter.com/eEpkh1JIMK
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 11, 2020
Having grown up idolising Zinedine Zidane, Højbjerg will likely bring much-needed defensive reinforcements to Spurs’ midfield. He won possession back in the midfield third more than any other player in the 2019/20 Premier League season. Beating the likes of Declan Rice to that particular accolade.
One player making the opposite journey will be Kyle Walker-Peters. The fullback is believed to be closing in on a move to St. Mary’s.
