Southampton have confirmed the signing of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg from Bayern Munich.
The young Danish midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Schalke 04, becomes Claude Puel’s second summer signing following the Frenchman's appointment at St. Mary’s.
“The 20-year-old moves to St Mary’s for an undisclosed fee, becoming the second addition to the squad this summer, following the arrival of Nathan Redmond from Norwich City,” a statement read on the club’s official website.
“Højbjerg is an exciting young midfield player who the club has been watching carefully for many years, and he further strengthens an ambitious and talented group for the season ahead, both domestically and in Europe.
“He made his first-team debut for Bayern in April 2013, at the age of 17, becoming the youngest player ever to make an appearance for the club in the Bundesliga.
“Højbjerg, who has already been capped 17 times by Denmark, also spent the last campaign on loan at Schalke, making 30 appearances for the German top-flight side.
Executive Director of Football Les Reed said: “Pierre is an exciting young talent, who we are delighted to welcome to Southampton Football Club.
“At the age of just 20, he is already an established international player with Denmark and has gained significant and valuable experience while at Bayern Munich and in the Bundesliga.
“Pierre boasts an impressive pedigree, as well as a great deal of potential, and it is testament to our reputation that he has chosen Southampton ahead of other suitors as the next step in his career.
“We believe the club will be an ideal place for Pierre to continue his progression and that he will be an excellent addition to our squad.
“We now have the perfect blend of positional strength, experience and dynamic youth in our midfield slots. There will be healthy competition, but also the required depth and robustness for our challenge in the Europa League.
“I believe as a group we probably have a choice from the best pool of midfield options in the Premier League.”
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg said: “I’m very pleased. It’s a big opportunity for me. I look forward to giving what I have and what I can to the club. They have put trust in me and I want to show them that they are not wrong.
“When I heard that Southampton came in for me I said to my people that this is what I want to do because I can see myself at Southampton, as it’s the way I like to think, the way I like to play and it fits me really well.
“I hope I can come here also and be a part of the Southampton family and give what I have to fight for the club and fight for my teammates.”
For more stats on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, click here to view his WhoScored player page
