Tottenham Hotspur are optimistic about their chances of signing Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, despite warning the Saints that they are not prepared to match Everton's bid for the Dane.
Southampton had been holding out for £35m, but Carlo Ancelotti's side have had a £25m bid for Højbjerg accepted, with Spurs' own offer sitting at closer to the £15m mark.
On paper, it's not looking good for Spurs, but The Guardian state that José Mourinho still believes Højbjerg will be on his way to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer as the midfielder would prefer to join them over Everton.
Southampton are aware of Højbjerg's desire but are still expected to push for somewhere closer to the £25m they could receive from Everton, but Spurs hope to have the upper hand in negotiations. If Højbjerg flat-out refuses to join Everton, there could be no other option but to accept Spurs' bid.
The Saints are interested in Spurs right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who has impressed on loan at St Mary's Stadium this season, but they want to keep those negotiations separate. There will be no outright swap deal between the two.
Mourinho is eager to bring in Højbjerg to add a little more steel to his midfield as he plans to rebuild his squad. Spurs could miss out on any form of European football next season, so planning for the future is high on Mourinho's agenda.
Finalising new contracts for their younger talents has been the order of business so far this summer. Eric Dier and Oliver Skipp have both penned new deals, and the Evening Standard note that young defender Japhet Tanganga is expected to follow suit.
The 21-year-old has broken through under Mourinho this season but had found himself linked with an exit as he entered the final 12 months of his contract, but he is now expected to sign until 2024 and pick up a sizeable increase on his current £1,000-a-week wages.
90min has also revealed that Spurs are confident of adding Beijing Guoan centre-back Kim Min-jae to the squad for next season, while there have also been links to the likes of Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin and Leicester City's Demarai Gray.
For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!
Source : 90min