According to the Daily Echo, Everton have increased their bid for Southampton ace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to £20million.
It’s claimed that Everton made a first bid of £18million last week, but they have already come back with a new bid.
The £2million increase isn’t a huge improvement, but it takes them a little closer to Southampton’s asking price, with the Saints still seeking more cash.
With one year left on his contract, Southampton are willing to sell Hojbjerg for the right price – but Everton face a battle to land him.
The report notes that Tottenham are Hojbjerg’s preferred destination right now, but Spurs are ‘some way off’ matching the £20million Everton have put forward.
Spurs want to include Saints loanee Kyle Walker-Peters in the deal, but Southampton want to keep any deals completely separate in order to prevent valuations from becoming ‘confused’.

That leaves Spurs in a tricky position, as they may not have £20million to spent right now, and there’s no guarantee that Walker-Peters will offset some of that cash if the deals are separate.
24-year-old Hojbjerg fancies a move to North London, but with Tottenham being told to stump up the cash whilst Everton move in, a switch to Merseyside can’t be ruled out yet.

Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
