adplus-dvertising
Global

Report: Southampton eye Chelsea raid but must pay over £8.5m for club's captain

Southampton must pay over £8.5 million if they are still keen to sign Serie A skipper Morten Hjulmand from Lecce with Chelsea youngster Derrick Abu another on the radar of the Championship outfit. 

It is only three weeks since Southampton’s relegation was confirmed and, already, it feels like almost half of the Saints squad is being linked with a move away. Vultures, it seems, have little respect for grief.

James Ward-Prowse, Kyle Walker-Peters, Che Adams, Sekou Mara, Romeo Lavia and Mohammed Salisu are all attracting interest, while Armel Bella-Kotchap is ‘pushing’ for a move amid interest from Aston Villa. 

So whoever takes over from Ruben Selles – most likely Swansea boss Russell Martin – could find himself under pressure to emulate Vincent Kompany at Burnley, and construct a brand-new squad from the ground up within the space of a few short months. 

Morten Hjulmand is one of those who could feature highly on Southampton’s summer wishlist; The Athletic reporting that the Saints submitted an £8.5 million bid for the Lecce captain in January.  

Photo by Emmanuele Mastrodonato/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Hjulmand, a Denmark international renowned for his aggression and athleticism in central midfield, may set Southampton back an eight-figure sum. Though an improved bid could be financed by the sales of Ward-Prowse and co. 

Morten Hjulmand an option for Southampton

“Certainly, Morten Hjulmand is the footballer who surprised me the most of all,” says former Lecce favourite Remo Papini. “He has really big potential.

“I believe that, in the future, he can do very well even in leading competitions and on the international scene. Given his characteristics, I can see him doing well in English football.”

The potential arrival of Derrick Abu may not capture the imagination quite so much as Hjulmand, but the Chelsea teenager could still prove to be an inspired piece of business from a club who snatched Tino Livramento from Stamford Bridge back in 2021. 

Abu will be a free-agent next month. All Nigeria Soccer believe that the German-born 19-year-old – capped by England at youth level – is destined to leave Chelsea. Abu recently had a trial at Crystal Palace but could now join Southampton instead. 

Brighton have also entered the race for a right-back who can also play on the left and in the centre.  

Chelsea U21 v West Ham United U21- Premier League 2
Photo by Clive Howes – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Source Topics

Back to top button