Why this Tottenham Hotspur target would be a massive signing for Everton

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Bengaluru, July 23: If reports in England are to be believed, Everton have agreed a £25m fee for Southampton star midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg beating the likes of Spurs and several other big clubs for the Dutchman's signature.

It is claimed that even though the Dane was more in favour of a move to Spurs, Daniel Levy has failed to match the Saints' demand for their former skipper who was stripped of his captaincy recently due to not signing a new deal.

This once again shows how Levy's extreme stubbornness is hurting Spurs and Jose Mourinho will certainly be frustrated with his board. Meanwhile, Højbjerg looks all set to become Carlo Ancelotti's second signing at Goodison Park following the deal for highly-rated ex-Marseille defender Niels Nkounkou on a free transfer.

Everton have been pretty decent since Carlo Ancelotti took over at the club and things look bright for the Toffees as the Italian maestro has seemingly started building his own squad at Goodison Park and Højbjerg could well become the spine of Everton for many years to come.

Here, we will discuss why it would be a massive deal for Everton.

Just 24 years of age

Højbjerg is just 24 years of age right now and has accomplished a lot already in his career. He was one of the most promising players at Bayern Munich once upon a time and also won two Bundesliga titles with the Bavarian giants. He moved to England with Southampton in 2016 in search of regular playing time and has been one of the best players of the Saints in recent years.

Despite not getting the attention he deserves, this season has been a phenomenal one for the Dane as big clubs started noticing him for his all-round game. Under Ralph Hasenhüttl, the midfield dynamo has been one of the best in the Premier League in his position and it was no wonder why clubs like Spurs, Manchester United and even Liverpool started monitoring his progress.

Everton will certainly make a solid statement if they can get this deal done. Just 24 years of age, Højbjerg has his best days ahead of him and could take his game to the next level under one of the best managers in the world Carlo Ancelotti.

Remarkable statistics this season

Højbjerg has notched up quite impressive statistics this season which show why he is one of the most underappreciated midfielders in the Premier League. The Dane is truly a complete midfielder and his numbers back that up.

The Dane ranks seventh in the Premier League for total tackles won and fourth among midfielders behind Declan Rice, Wilfred Ndidi and James McArthur. He has averaged 2.4 tackles per game this season while averaging 1.5 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game. Another impressive thing about the 24-year-old is that he is very hard-working and a pressing machine.

In Hasenhüttl's high-pressing system, he has been the lynchpin of the Southampton side ranking in the top 20 in the league for pressures. He is also incredibly press-resistant which is evident from his average of 11.6 passes played through the press and this makes him an ideal player for Ancelotti's system.

A brilliant passer of the ball

Højbjerg is not only defensively excellent and pretty hard-working, he is also a top midfielder when it comes to passing abilities. Pep Guardiola, his former manager at Bayern, is a big admirer of the Danish international due to his eye for passes and that speaks for his ability to pick out his teammates.

The Dane has averaged 4.49 progressive passes per 90 minutes this campaign while attempting 0.9 key passes per game. He has also averaged 3.2 long balls per game that shows his ability to pick out his teammates from deep. Such a complete midfielder, who is also blessed with immense versatility that makes him capable of covering either full-back positions, would undoubtedly be an immense addition to the Everton side that is currently filled with mediocrity.