De Telegraaf have revealed the offer which Premier League club Southampton made for Feyenoord midfielder Tonny Vilhena during the January transfer window and described it as insulting.
- By Michael Bell
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Vilhena was heavily linked with a move to Southampton after they sold midfielder Jack Cork to Swansea City, but it has now become clear that the Premier League club were looking for a ridiculous bargain.
The first offer Southampton made for Vilhena was a loan deal with an option to make it permanent in the summer, which was immediately rejected. Ronald Koeman’s side had offered to pay €800,000 in the summer, which would then double over the next two seasons. So to clarify the offer, Vilhena would have moved to Southampton for free, then the club would pay €2.6 million to Feyenoord by 2016.
Vilhena, who has a contract until 2016, has played 99 times for Feyenoord, while Daley Sinkgraven who Ajax paid €6.5 million for has played half that. If Southampton wish to sign the midfielder they will have to significantly up their offer.