Southampton need €20m for January signing after seeing first bid rejected – Price ‘set for some time’

Southampton have been informed that they need €20m to sign Morten Hjulmand from Lecce this month.

That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who say an €11m plus €2m in bonuses offer has already been rejected by the Italian side, as was reported on Wednesday.

Southampton are busy strengthening their squad this month as Nathan Jones looks to add to his options in their fight against relegation.

Hjulmand is one of those they have been linked to, with Lecce chief Pantaleo Corvino recently admitting in a press conference that they had rejected a written offer from the Saints.

They are reluctant to sell Hjulmand, who is their captain, but are aware that the 23-year-old has ‘several admirers’ in the Premier League.

That original offer from Southampton was ‘not considered fair’ and sent back immediately because Lecce have already made it clear they need €20m to consider a sale.

That price has been ‘set for some time’.

Whether Southampton are willing to match that figure isn’t made clear, but it is stated that ‘there is already an auction’ for the midfielder’s signature.