According to reports by L’Equipe, via Get French Football News, Southampton are targeting a summer move for Lyon centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby.
The South Coast outfit only narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League this season, and one of the main reasons for that was because of their leaky backline – they conceded 58 goals in their 38 top flight fixtures.
It is something that Saints and prospective new manager Mark Hughes and vice-chairman Les Reed, who can go from zero to hero with the fans if he delivers these three signings this summer, will look to put right with the likes of Wesley Hoedt and Jack Stephens regularly struggling against opposition attackers.
The loss of both Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk over the course of the last 18 months has proven to be a huge blow, and the club should be looking to bring in someone that has seen it and done it this summer to help the likes of Stephens and Hoedt, rather than a 21-year-old who is at the beginning of his career and only a bit-part player for his current side.
Here are three experienced centre-backs Southampton should be targeting this summer instead of Diakhaby…
The 30-year-old Northern Ireland international is reportedly available for just £3m this summer because of a clause in his contract after West Bromwich Albion were relegated to the Championship, and you would expect a number of Premier League clubs to be interested in him at that price.
The centre-back has 235 top flight appearances under his belt, has played in the Champions League for Manchester United and has been part of title-winning teams.
With 68 international caps he has certainly been around the block, and while things perhaps didn’t go well for the Baggies captain last season, the experienced defender would have plenty to offer Southampton next season.
The 28-year-old centre-back hasn’t been around in the Premier League for ages, but after another successful season with Burnley he has only a couple of appearances short of a century at this level.
Mee was a key part of the Clarets defence that performed so well this term to secure a seventh-place finish and Europa League football, but he could be on his way out of Turf Moor this summer according to The Times with the club refusing to meet his £80,000-a-week demands to extend his contract that expires next summer.
While Southampton probably wouldn’t want to pay the 28-year-old that much either, they would be confident of agreeing a lower deal with him seeing as they have more potential for growth than Burnley do because of their bigger budget.
At 25, the Denmark international is only a year older than the likes of Hoedt and Stephens, but he is still hugely experienced and has proven himself to be a brilliant defender during his time with Borussia Monchengladbach.
The 6ft 6in centre-back scored three goals in 32 Bundesliga appearances this season, while he is approaching the 200-game mark in the German top flight.
Good on the ball and strong in the air – according to WhoScored.com he won 103 of the 161 aerial duels he faced in the league this term – he would be a solid addition to the Saints backline.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.
