Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg continues to be linked away from the club – and Ralph Hasenhuttl has now commented on his situation.
Hojbjerg is out of contract next summer, and with just one year left on his deal, he has been stripped of the captaincy as a result of not committing his future to the club.
The Dane has still been playing in Southampton’s midfield, but an injury forced him to miss Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester City.
The Daily Mail claimed over the weekend that Everton are hoping to beat Tottenham to his signature, though the price tag is an injury.
Spurs have been linked with Hojbjerg for months now, but are finding problems with the £35million asking price on his head in light of the global pandemic.
Tottenham may yet look to offer right back Kyle Walker-Peters – currently on loan at Southampton – in a part-exchange deal for Hojbjerg, in an attempt to drive the price down.
Now, Southampton boss Hasenhuttl has told Hampshire Live that the Saints are already planning for Hojbjerg’s exit by trying to find alternatives.
Hasenhuttl added that he is sure ‘a few clubs’ want to sign Hojbjerg, but he isn’t prepared to comment on any of the rumours just yet.
“For sure we know when Pierre is leaving we have to find an alternative and that we have another few positions where we are a little bit struggling,” said Hasenhuttl. “We have to keep our eyes open and be active in those positions for sure.”
“As always, I don’t want to speak about any rumours [on Pierre], any possibilities. But you can be sure there are a few clubs around this,” he added.
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