Everton need to bolster their midfield this summer, and it seems that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was the man they wanted.
Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Fabian Delph have struggled with injuries, Tom Davies has blown hot and cold, Gylfi Sigurdsson has endured a difficult season, Andre Gomes is still working his way back to fitness and Morgan Schneiderlin has gone to Nice.
Carlo Ancelotti has spoken of his desire to add ‘energy’ to his midfield, and Hojbjerg was seen as the player to provide that.
The 24-year-old looks set to leave Southampton this summer, having been stripped of the captaincy after failing to agree a new contract with the club; his current deal ends in 2021.
The Liverpool Echo reported earlier this week that whilst Everton are pursuing Hojbjerg, he’s now unlikely to make the move to Goodison Park.
Hojbjerg has allegedly told Everton that he wants to join Tottenham instead, despite the fact that Jose Mourinho’s men have yet to actually agree a deal for him.
Everton have been trying to convince Hojbjerg to change his mind, but it looks like falling on deaf ears – and it will leave fans feeling a sense of deja vu.
The Toffees were far down the line with a deal to sign Moussa Sissoko, agreeing to sign him from Newcastle United before running into the same problems they’re facing with Hojbjerg.
Sissoko preferred Tottenham all along, and as noted by The Guardian, he held out as long as possible to make sure that he joined Spurs, leaving Everton stranded in the final hours of the window.
At least Everton have enough time to pivot to other targets in this instance with Hojbjerg, but fans will have a familiar feeling over their pursuit of the Dane.
Everton fans would probably prefer the club to move on to other targets rather than wait around for Hojbjerg, and having been stung by Sissoko in that matter in the past, it would be little surprise to see them do just that.
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