Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia has confirmed the club will sign on-loan Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg permanently.
Spurs loaned the Denmark international to Marseille with an obligation to make the move permanent for a fee of around £17m.
Hojbjerg has impressed so far this season at the French club, helping them climb to third in Ligue 1.
And Benatia has revealed they are keen for him to become a permanent member of Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
“Pierre has signed a loan agreement with an option to buy, so the move will soon become permanent,” Benatia told Danish sports magazine Tipsbladet.
“Pierre will help us with our project to qualify for the Champions League. We need to be part of the top 24 European clubs, which are the ones that qualify for last 16 in the new Champions League format.
“We are very happy to have Pierre-Emile here in Marseille. Before his change, we had many talks with him and our president Pablo Longoria. Pierre told me he had offers from Italy, England and other countries, but that if we could do a deal with Tottenham, it was Marseille he wanted to play for.”
When asked how he had impressed at Marseille, Benatia added: “It’s actually easy to answer, because you can just look at the statistics.
“Pierre is one of the best, or the best, player in Ligue 1 when it comes to ball possession and successful passes. It says everything about his role on the pitch and as a leader in midfield.
“But for me it’s also about his great influence off the pitch. He’s a natural leader and a good example for all his team-mates, especially the young players. We have a very young team, and Pierre is essential for them so they can learn what it means to play football at such a high level. He is really important to Roberto De Zerbi.
“Pierre-Emile has already got a huge role in the dressing room. None of it is forced, because it comes naturally to him. It's just the way he is, and he's respected for it.
“Today he’s captain of the national team, and he’s also been given the armband here when captain Leo Balerdi has been out. In football there are no coincidences. He makes the team stronger, and he’s already indispensable.
“He represents exactly what a Marseille player should be according to our president: exemplary, professional, dedicated and hardworking.”
