Southampton: Saints standing firm on huge Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg valuation

Southampton are reportedly standing firm on their valuation of captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg amid interest from Spurs and Everton.

According to the London Evening Standard, Saints still value the 24-year-old at £35m despite him having one year left on his contract and the financial strains caused by the Coronavirus.

Hojbjerg will stay with Saints until the end of the 2019/20 season and will play a part in securing safety for next year, but it remains to be seen how his transfer situation will play out after that.

The chances of him following Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl and striker Shane Long in penning a new deal at St Mary’s look very slim, but it is vital that Saints play their cards right to get the most money that they can for him.

Given everything that has happened, £35m looks to a wildly optimistic figure to quote a club like Spurs – especially when they know they can snap him up for free in the summer of 2021.

The best option would surely be to knock some of that price off to ensure there is money to reinvest in the team and sign a replacement. A lower transfer fee and a part-exchange has been mentioned in reports on this potential deal before and could suit both parties.

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• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
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Hojbjerg is an important presence for Saints at the moment and he is said to be vital behind the scenes with his leadership style.

Saints Chief Executive Martin Semmens confirmed this recently by saying the Dane was eager to get back playing for the club, although he did also admit that a sale may eventually be forced in the off-season.

The Coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of financial income on hold for football clubs and this may cause a few problems for Saints once the transfer window opens.

They are said to want to get rid of some of the highest earners at the club to free up some funds to reinvest – Fraser Forster, Guido Carrillo, Mario Lemina, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Wesley Hoedt could be on their way out, but financial strains may see potential suitors unable to sign players permanently just yet.

Saints also look to be tying down some of their more experienced players to extensions to help bring out the best in some of their younger talents – Ryan Bertrand and Oriol Romeu are just two who are said to be in talks with the club.