An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their interest in signing central midfielder Morten Hjulmand in the summer transfer window...

What's the latest on Morten Hjulmand to Tottenham Hotspur?

According to Calciomercato, Spurs have been sending scouts to watch the Lecce gem in action in the Serie A this season as sporting director Fabio Paratici gathers information on the 23-year-old.

The report claims that the Italian side rejected an offer of €13m (£11.5m) from Southampton during the January transfer window as they did not want to cash in on him until the summer, although it remains to be seen how much they will demand for his services now.

It is stated, however, that Tottenham will face competition for his signature from AS Roma, Napoli, and Borussia Dortmund, with the former two having already held talks with Lecce.

Can Hjulmand replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

Paratici could now land Antonio Conte the dream heir to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's position in the side by swooping to sign his compatriot in the summer.

The Danish international, who captained Southampton earlier in his career, is a leader on the pitch for Spurs and Hjulmand has been lauded as a 'leader and captain' on and off the field for Lecce, which suggests that they are both vocal, encouraging, presences in the middle of the park.

Hojbjerg, 27, has been in fine form in the Premier League this season. He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.22 across 23 outings and made three tackles and interceptions per game, winning 54% of his duels, whilst also completing 89% of his attempted passes.

Hjulmand, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.95 in 21 Serie A outings. The 23-year-old battler, who was hailed by journalist Alvaro Canibe as having a "remarkable" campaign, has made an eye-catching five tackles and interceptions per match, winning 58% of his battles, whilst completing 79% of his passes.

This comes after the gem averaged a score of 7.13 and made 3.9 tackles and interceptions per outing in the second division of Italian football for Lecce last term across 37 appearances.

His passing efficiency is not as impressive as Hojbjerg's but the midfielder is playing in a team that is slogging it out in the bottom half of the Serie A and he may not have the chance to play it safe in dominant possession, as the current Spurs enforcer can in fourth-place.

Lecce's standing in the Italian top-flight also suggests that Hjulmand has more opportunities to make defensive actions, which would explain his numbers being greater than the Tottenham man's, however, his efficiency in those duels remains impressive as it highlights his strength and skill in winning possession back for his side.

Therefore, the 23-year-old could be the long-term heir to Hojbjerg as both players are defensive-minded midfielders who have the quality to be leaders for their side on the pitch, whilst moving to Tottenham could allow the Lecce star to improve his passing.