Midfielder who Carlo Ancelotti tried to sign for Everton 'available' during 'ruthless clear-out'

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to offload a former Everton transfer target in the summer transfer window.

Despite finishing fifth in the Premier League during his maiden season in charge, Ange Postecoglou is set to make significant changes to his Spurs squad. The Mirror reports that there will be five players who are ‘pushed towards the exit door’ during a ‘ruthless clear-out’.

Among those who could leave Tottenham is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The midfielder made a total of 39 appearances during the 2023-24 season but the vast majority were as a substitute. He was linked with an exit in the January transfer window but a switch did not materialise.

Hojbjerg moved to Tottenham from Southampton in August 2020 for a reported fee of £15 million. During the time, Everton were linked with the Denmark international. The Toffees made a bid for Hojbjerg but he ended up moving to Tottenham.

Speaking that summer, then-Toffees manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Hojbjerg: “I know Hojbjerg, he’s a good player. He is playing for Southampton, so I don’t want to talk about another Premier League player and that we are playing against soon. I can give an opinion about him at the end of the season.”

Hojbjerg has a year remaining on his Tottenham contract having made a total of 184 appearances, scoring 10 goals.

Everton could be in the market for a midfielder in the transfer window. Presently, Sean Dyche’s options include Amadou Onana, James Garner, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gana Gueye - whose contract has been extended by a year.

However, Andre Gomes has left at the end of his deal. Meanwhile, there is uncertainty surrounding Onana’s future. Goodison Park director of football Kevin Thelwell has admitted that player sales will be required in the summer to help ease the club’s precarious financial situation.

Onana has been linked with several clubs in the past, including Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona.