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Southampton manager Mark Hughes says Southampton had a hard-fought battle to complete the transfer of defender Jannik Vestergaard from Bundesliga mainstays Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Vestergaard signed a four-year deal with Southampton for an undisclosed fee.
It’s clear to see why the signing of Vestergaard was so coveted in this summer’s transfer window.
Still only 25 years old, Vestergaard comes to Saints with plenty of experience. The Danish international, who has 16 caps for his country’s senior side, made just under 200 appearances in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen and Mönchengladbach.
The towering 6ft 6in centre-back also has European football experience, having played for Mönchengladbach in both the Champions and Europa League over the last two years.
Hughes told the club’s official website: “We have had to fight off a lot of competition to bring Jannik here, and we are delighted he has chosen Southampton as the right place to take the next step in his career.
“He represents another excellent addition to our squad this summer, and brings with him an extensive amount of experience for his age. That means he can not only help us in the present, but that he has the potential to develop his game even more with us, which is what we want as a club and is clearly exciting for both parties.
“One of our intentions this summer was to strengthen our aerial presence, and Jannik can help us do that not only defensively, but also in the opposition penalty area.
“His character and the leadership qualities he has shown in an intense division like the Bundesliga have been impressive, and, as a club, we have been following him for some time now, so we are naturally delighted to have been able to bring him to Southampton.”
Vestergaard is the fourth signing Saints has made in this summer transfer window so far following the arrivals of Stuart Armstrong from Celtic, Mohamed Elyounoussi from FC Basel and goalkeeper Angus Gunn from Manchester City.