Tottenham are expected to formalise their interest in Southampton captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg with an opening bid, after effectively being given the green light to pursue him.
The 24-year-old has started 27 of the Saints' 28 Premier League games this season, skippering the side under manager Ralph Hasenhüttl - who signed a new four-year deal last week.
Capped 33 times by Denmark, Højbjerg first attracted interested from Spurs and Everton in January, but Southampton were unwilling to sell - placing a £35m price tag on his head.
But their stance appears to have softened, with Southampton's chief executive Martin Semmens admitting that Højbjerg has lofty aspirations which the club won't stand in the way of.
"Let’s be clear about Pierre, he’s been absolutely up front with us and everybody publicly that he sees himself at the very highest level of football," Seemens said, in quotes carried by the Daily Star. "He wants to win the league, he wants to win the Champions League either with us or somebody else and at some point he’s going to either have to drive us to that level or move somewhere else to do it.
"If there’s a club out there that can win the Champions League and they think Pierre can improve their team, if they can pay for him then, in the end, we have to let him go."
Højbjerg, who at 17 became the youngest player ever to represent Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, is thought to be tempted by a move to Tottenham, who made the Champions League final in 2019 before falling to Liverpool.
Head coach José Mourinho is understood to rate the Dane highly, with the Southampton skipper viewed as a more desirable option than holding midfielder Matías Vecino - who has previously been offered to the Lilywhites by current employers Inter.
But Højbjerg's previous £35m valuation is likely to prove costly - owing to the financial downturn caused by the coronavirus - and any deal is likely to be negotiated at a far lower price.
Source : 90min